Crash Into Me
by freudianslip13
Summary: Elsa and Hans are due to be married when she loses part of her memory in a car accident, waking up to a beautiful nurse named Anna who will change her fate forever. (Modern AU, Non-incest Elsanna).
1. Chapter 1

Spring had hit the city of angels and wedding plans were well underway for the young couple with an early June ceremony just months away. Elsa's flowing blonde hair shined like fine spun gold in the afternoon sun as she parked her car along the curb of a posh and trendy flower shop in Beverly Hills. A pair of heels clicked against the pavement as she stepped out of her car with a beaming smile and fed the meter while waiting for her fiancé to arrive.

A jet black convertible pulled up about five minutes later and Hans was already sporting an apologetic smile as he greeted Elsa on the sidewalk with a kiss on her rosy cheek.

"Sorry I'm late. This appointment is for flowers right?" he said as he surveyed the buckets of freshly watered flowers sitting outside the shop.

"Yes. Flowers and I hope you'll handle this better than the food tasting yesterday. I want us to enjoy doing this together. This is _our_ wedding remember?" Elsa replied sweetly as she took Hans' hands and gazed up at him through her lustrous lashes, eyes sparkling with a hint sass behind those baby blues.

"I plan to thoroughly enjoy myself because if men like anything it's picking out flowers," he joked as she smirked and playfully drug him by his necktie into the shop.

Ten minutes later and Hans was bored out of his mind but was determined to make the best of it for the sake of his future bride.

"These are some of our most popular arrangements this time of year," the shop owner said as she led Hans and Elsa into the showroom of the quaint yet upscale flower shop. The room was filled with exquisite centerpiece arrangements of calla lilies, roses, and hydrangeas; giving off the most heavenly aroma that filled the couple's heads.

"The arrangements here would be for the reception and over here on this table we have coordinating bouquets and boutonnieres for the ceremony. All variations of white as you requested Ms. Everstad." The woman smiled as she laid her eyes upon the young woman and her fiancé. They were one of the most striking couples she'd seen come in for a wedding consultation in quite some time. Her hair and skin were as white as the fallen snow with lips as deep a red as some of the roses in the shop. The man her arm was securely looped around was tall and dashing with auburn hair and eyes just this side of emerald.

"Which ones do you like darling?" Hans asked, a smile curling out from the side of his lips.

Elsa's eyes scanned the room, surveying the celestial blooms of each and every flower displayed before her. A bulbous vase of furled white flowers caught her eye and she gasped in awe.

"I love these but I'm not familiar with this type of flower," she said as she walked closer to inspect the centerpiece, leaving Hans' side for the first time since they'd entered the shop.

"Ranunculus and Gypsophila. Very elegant in my opinion and perfect for an early summer wedding. Where is it you two are getting married again?" the woman asked with a quirked brow.

"At my father's home in Brentwood," Elsa replied, looking at the woman and then back at Hans as they shared a warm smile. "I think these would be perfect, don't you?" fluttering her lashes at him.

"If you love them then I love them," he cooed in that annoying tone couples tended to adopt in order to please each other.

"Perfect. Then we'll do that for the reception and I love the calla lilies and roses for the ceremony," Elsa gleamed as she swiftly clasped her hands against her chest. Deciding on flowers had been easier than she originally presumed. She thought for sure Hans would be a bit more opinionated, he always liked to have things just so, but he appeared to be coming around to the idea that the more decisions Elsa made the happier she was.

"Fantastic!" Hans bellowed, sounding a bit too relieved at the prospect of leaving the shop sooner than expected.

"Excellent choice Ms. Everstad. We'll contact your coordinator Mary and take it from there. It was lovely to meet you both."

The young couple thanked the woman and Hans quickly led Elsa out of the shop and back outside to where they had both parked on the street.

"Do you have to leave so soon? We finished early and we could get a quick bite to eat or just take a walk past the shops." Elsa was so hoping that they'd get to spend some extra time together since she'd spared Hans of having to bear more wedding decisions.

"I'd loved to sweetheart but I have to get back to the office. You know how demanding my father can be." He grabbed her hands and kissed each one tenderly on the knuckles, bringing a blush to Elsa's cheeks.

"I'll see you tonight for dinner at your father's. Six right?" Hans was already rounding the front of his convertible as Elsa stepped to the passenger side to reply.

"Yes, six. And don't be late this time. I don't want to be stuck entertaining your dad and my parents by myself again," she pleaded, knowing deep down he probably would be late anyways. She couldn't remember the last time Hans made it anywhere on time and hoped he would at least remember that their wedding ceremony started promptly at four when the day came.

"I won't. You headed back to work?" sliding on a dark pair of sunglasses as he glided the key into the ignition.

"No, I have stop and sign off on the invitations in an hour. I left Kristoff in the kitchen so who knows what will greet me when I go in tomorrow."

"Alright. Love you." He revved the engine and lifted his sunglasses to give her wink, making an affectionate clicking sound with his tongue.

"I love-"

Before Elsa could finish Hans stepped on the gas and was sped away, running a red light at the intersection.

"- you," she muttered alone on the sidewalk as she watched Hans turn the corner and zoom out of view.

* * *

><p>Later that evening Elsa passed through the wrought iron gates of her father's home and pulled into the circular brick driveway. The stately Tudor style mansion was like something out of a fairytale. It always brought a smile to her face and warmed her heart whenever she laid eyes on the old place. Every time she walked up the to the beautiful solid oak door she felt like she was coming home.<p>

"Hello angel," Elsa's mother gushed when she answered the door. Her family may have been wealthy but they liked to remain in touch with reality as much as possible and preferred to do most things like answer the door themselves.

"Hi mama," kissing her mother lightly on the cheek.

"Your father is outside waiting for you. He had a bit of a rough day today so he'd love some cheering up."

"Of course."

Elsa walked through the palatial home and found her father sitting at the outdoor dining table, clutching his arm as he struggled to control it and her heart sank when she noticed it was shaking profusely.

"Hi papa." Her hand ran around his back and over to his shoulder, feeling the finely pressed fabric of his dress shirt as she took a seat in the chair next to him.

"Hi honey," forcing his arm under the table with a grimace he was trying to conceal, ashamed of his inability to control his own body.

"Did you have a rough day?" her face shrouded in sympathy as she reached under the table and held his trembling hand between her own. His hand was warm yet jittery as she smoothed and caressed it with her delicate hands.

He'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's some years ago but recently the tremors had become worse. When Elsa first learned of her father's diagnosis she feared the worst but was assured that it was not a death sentence and that only his motor and cognitive skills would be most affected.

He had been working with the best doctors in Los Angeles to keep the debilitating illness from progressing and he insisted on continuing to work through it all. He loved his company that he built from the ground up and still saw it as his baby. Well, his other baby as Elsa was his first pride and joy.

"The new medication just doesn't seem to be working. I was presenting to the shareholders earlier today and the tremors were so bad that I had to hide my hand in the podium, only that didn't stop everyone from hearing the sound." He was a warm and caring man but didn't like to show weakness, especially to his daughter. No one at his company knew of his ordeal and he intended to keep it that way for as long as he could. He didn't need his own employees taking pity on him and coddling him like an incapable child.

"I'm sure they will get it right eventually. These things take time." A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and her father delighted in her twinkling blue eyes. She didn't care what course his disorder took or how aggressive his tremors got, she loved him just the same.

"Where's Hans honey?" he asked, half curious and half hoping to change the subject.

"Running late I suppose. We picked out flowers today and I think they're going to look spectacular. Hans was really great about the whole thing."

"He's a nice man and I know he'll take good care of you. I cannot wait to see you in that gorgeous white gown and walk you down the aisle. I'm not looking forward to the giving my daughter away part but that's part of being a father. You blink and your baby girl is all grown up." His lips pressed inwards and he looked at his daughter. She was everything he'd wished for and more and it almost pained him that she'd long flown the nest and was getting married in three short months.

"I maybe grown up but I'll never stop loving you. And I only live fifteen minutes away." The two giggled and laughed when the sound of Hans' slick leather shoes interrupted their father daughter bonding.

"Speak of the devil," Elsa's father murmured.

"Alexander. Good to see you again sir. My apologies for being late. The traffic on Bundy was terrible." Hans held out a firm hand and offered a hearty handshake with his father Harold close behind him.

"Please, for the last time call me Alex. You're going to be my son-in-law after all," patting Hans on the back and holding the handshake for a brief moment.

"Hi baby," Hans whispered as he gave Elsa quick kiss hello and the two older men greeted each other. Elsa's mother also came to join everyone and placed a vase of freshly cut flowers from their garden on the table.

"So, now that everyone is here tell us about how the wedding is coming along. Three months is going to fly by very fast," Elsa's mother was so happy she couldn't help but speak in a sing-song.

"The guest list is set at 300. I'm cutting it off at that because any more and it'll just be obscene. We decided on flowers today and the cake tasting is Friday." Elsa continued to fill everyone in on the details as dinner was brought out to the table.

"You and Kristoff aren't going to do the cake yourselves?" Elsa's mother asked as she passed basket of warm rolls to her husband.

"Mama I make chocolate, not cakes," Elsa corrected politely.

"I know but you two know_ how_ to make a cake. You went to culinary school after all." Elsa just smiled and chewed the piece of brussel sprout that was preventing her from speaking. Her mother was always supportive but was never really good at keeping track of details, like what _exactly_ Elsa did for a living. But they loved each other anyhow.

"How is the chocolatier business these days?" Harold boomed from the end of the table, noticing Hans tense as his father spoke. He didn't scare Elsa one bit and she knew how to calm her fiance's nerves with her fabulous charm. Being the youngest of thirteen wasn't always easy and he was always trying to please his father and occupy just a moment of his attention, which was happening more and more now that he was marrying his closest partner's daughter.

"Thriving. That's the great thing about chocolate. It never really goes out of style," she said with a sassy smile that made Harold chuckle. He just found her simply delightful. Out of all his daughter-in-laws she would by far be the most beautiful and he couldn't wait to see how his grandchildren would turn out. Those looks with his last name put Hans at the center of his attention for sure.

"Poor Kristoff was on his own without you today?" her father chimed in.

"Well he'd better get used to it," Hans said a little too boldly, chuckling to himself before realizing no one was joining in on his laughter.

"What do you mean?" Elsa blinked, setting her knife and fork down as she impatiently waited for a response.

"I just mean that we'll be married and then there will be children eventually. You want to be home for that don't you? Children need their mother," he said in a way that made her feel like she'd missed out on an important meeting about her life. The heated look on her face warmed her cheeks and she felt a hand drifting up her thigh, Hans' way of telling her to calm down.

"We can discuss this later," she practically mouthed to him, knowing they were going to have to have some long drawn out conversation about this later.

"Speaking of children, how long are we going to have to wait? I hope you two plan to have as many as Sarah and I did," Harold laughed and nudged Alex's shoulder, jostling the piece of lamb shank dangling on the end of his fork.

Hans wrapped his possessive arms around Elsa, catching her by surprise. "Probably not _that_ many dad but I don't know…" he looked down at Elsa, "maybe four or five?" The hand on her thigh moved inward and was bordering on what she deemed inappropriate touching for a family dinner. He father was right next to her for crying out loud and he didn't need an eyeful of Hans' hand up her skirt.

"Or _three_," she said firmly, removing the wandering hand and placing it back in Hans' lap where it belonged. The thought of being a stay-at-home mother to five children wasn't exactly what they had agreed upon nor what Elsa had dreamed herself doing for the rest of her life. Actually they hadn't done much talking about the subject other than wanting to have them at all.

"How ever many you decide Elsa, they will each be a welcomed blessing we all can't for." Her father knew how to support her while appeasing everyone involved. He just wanted to see her happy and wasn't about putting demands on her.

The rest of dinner went well and Hans behaved himself like the good boy Elsa expected him to be. The two walked hand in hand out to the driveway, the sky now a deep blue as a full moon illuminated the night.

"I'll meet you at home. I have to stop by the office first." Hans encircled his arms around Elsa's waist and flashed her that garish smile, as if it would just smooth everything over.

"For what? You were late for everything today. You can't keep doing this to me," she hissed, frustrated with his lack of interest in her lately. The closer the wedding got the more he had to work late.

"I just forgot my laptop. It's on the way home and I will more than make up for it when I get back. I promise."

For the second time that day Elsa watched Hans drive off and leave her with what would soon be another broken promise.

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><p>Sure enough Hans didn't come home until Elsa was falling asleep on the living room sofa dressed in her nightgown and ready for bed over an hour ago. She couldn't understand what had come over him lately and how she suddenly seemed to be repelling him at a time when they should be lost in the throes of wedding bliss. He had spent a year pining after her and wooing her until she finally say yes and agreed to marry him. Now that they were almost married she couldn't help but wonder what she had done to make him turn his attention elsewhere.<p>

"This is the third time today you've kept me waiting for you. What is going on? I'm starting to wondering if you're regretting this whole thing. Or worse, regretting me." She sat on the sofa with her arms crossed, shivering from the chill in the air and the uncomfortableness she felt from having to be so upfront with him.

Hans' face pressed into a frown as he removed his jacket and sat next to her, placing his hands on each of hers and wrapping them around his neck.

"Elsa, I dont' regret anything. I can't wait to marry you it's just the planning is more your thing now you know? And I've been working so hard so that I can take on more responsibility at work and provide you with the life you deserve. I'm doing this for us."

She thought for a moment and bit her lip. His reasoning didn't completely satisfy her but as she tried to hold back a yawn she knew she was too tired to argue about it.

"You're sleepy baby. Let me take you to bed and we can talk about this tomorrow." Before she had the chance to protest Hans scooped her up in his arms and carried her bed. He'd successfully avoided another argument and was officially in the clear when he placed Elsa in bed and saw she was already asleep, slipping away with the Cheshire grin plastered on his face as he left alone on their giant king bed.

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><p><em>AN: I know many of you are wondering, "so when does Anna come in?" The answer is in chapter three, after the accident. Please bear with me as chapters 1 and 2 are exposition and essential to the story. You have to know who Elsa was and what her life was like before the accident. Reviews and feedback always appreciated :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you to my beta Elsanna-is-the-law. Please bear with me for one last bit of the Hans/Elsa interactions. _

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><p>A thick blanket of navy blue still covered the sky when Elsa's alarm went off. Part of being in the dessert business meant having to be to work before most of the world was even awake, including Hans. For as much as he worked he never got up before her, always choosing to catch an extra half hour of sleep instead.<p>

Elsa perched herself up on her elbow and squinted at the clock, watching the blurry numbers come into focus and hoping Kristoff was doing the very same thing and not leave her in the kitchen to clean up his mess alone. A demure yawn escaped from her as Hans' hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her back into his embrace.

"Mmmm...too early. Just stay here a little longer." He hummed a sigh into her soft blonde locks and spooned her tightly against himself, thinking Elsa must have forgotten about his absentminded tardiness from the day before but he was sorely mistaken. With a scoff and impetuous roll of her sapphire eyes, she flung Hans' hand off of her and proceeded to make her way into the bathroom.

"I can't. Some of us show up on time to places," she shot back, sounding playful but she was dead serious. His behavior was starting to become the pea under her mattress and like the restless princess in that fairy tale, she was wearing thin of his inability to make her feel like a priority.

Freshly showered and at least half awake, Elsa sipped on a cup of coffee as she got dressed and placed herself in front of their massive double vanity to do her makeup and hair.

By the time her makeup was finished, Hans' alarm had just gone off as Elsa finished weaving her thick locks into a loose braid. Hans staggered out of bed and threw on a robe before coming up behind Elsa, placing a light kiss on the side of her exposed neck as she tied off the end of her braid.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. It was wrong of me to be so careless about the time," he whispered softly into her ear, a hand resting on each of her shoulders as she glared coldly at his reflection in the mirror.

"Hey," he said, gently turning her around to face him and push her back against the vanity. Her downcast eyes refused to meet his and he lifted her chin to direct her gaze. Finally she allowed his piercing emeralds to look deep within her glacier blues and he couldn't help but frown a little at the forlorn pouty bottom lip staring back at him.

"I do love you and I do want to marry you. What can I do to make it up to you?" he asked, voice soft and honeyed.

"Be on time and act like you actually care about our relationship, not just this wedding. I want to feel like you care about me. It hurts when you're so dismissive of my feelings. I'm always at the bottom of your list of priorities." His frown deepened at the veil of disappointment so apparent in her eyes. He'd screwed up and he knew he had to fix it good this time.

"On my honor, I will be on time from now on. Early even and I'll prove to you just how much of a priority you really are to me. And...if you'll permit me, I'd like to show you just how much I love you. Perhaps...in the shower," he purred as his lips kissed their way down her neck, smirking against the flawless alabaster skin.

Try as she might to stay mad at him she could never resist his smooth talk but also knew she had to set a good example for her devious fiancé.

"I can't. I really have to get to work and make sure everything is running smoothly." Her tone turned more playful as her giggle vibrated beneath the lips pressed against her pulse point.

"Fine no shower. How about right...here!" he laughed, lifting her up onto the vanity and tickling her mercilessly as he peppered her face with kisses.

"Stop! Stop!" she begged though a flurry of giggles before Hans finally ceased his assault and pulled her into a deep kiss. "How about when I get home. Then you can show me anything you want," she cooed in return.

"You make so happy baby." His eyes were still locked on her as if he were waiting for a response that never came. "Do I make you happy?" he pressed.

Elsa hesitated but then replied with a warm smile. "Of course."

"Alright well, off you go." Hans helped Elsa off the vanity and she grabbed the remainder of her now cold coffee.

"Have a good day at work," she chirped and placed a quick kiss on his lips, turning to head out the door as Hans lightly swatted her tush.

"You too baby."

* * *

><p>It was just after dawn and Elsa had again beat Kristoff to another day of work at the chocolate shop. That man could never make it on time. The sky was still a palate of violets and blues broken by a fiery orange horizon line beginning to stretch its expanse of day into the west. Entering through the back door of the shop Elsa flipped a switch and the overhead lights flickered on as she scanned the kitchen to see how Kristoff had handled the evening shift on his own. Her lips parted and fell into a frown when her eyes dismayingly fell upon the half empty racks where the finished orders were stored. With the weekend coming they should have been filled with various orders for weddings, birthdays, and other social events.<p>

Elsa had opened the shop about three years ago and it was a hit from day one. Not only was it located in a fabulously posh neighborhood but Elsa offered something no other shop could. Like any other chocolatier they made the usual truffles, pecan turtles, liquor filled balls, and dipped fruits but their calling card were the elaborate chocolate and hand blown sugar sculptures designed by none other than Elsa. No one in the business made such majestic works of art, except for Kristoff but he was a distant second at best.

The two had met on the first day culinary school after being paired together in their introduction to baking class, quickly learning they had a shared passion for confectionaries and chocolate making. Over the years they formed a plan to go into business together and open their own place after graduation. They knew they'd be a success with Elsa's talent but they also made a great team and had zero romantic chemistry, a perfection combination for two people who wanted to start a business venture together. The only problem was Kristoff couldn't keep up with Elsa's pace and tended to leave the large orders to her while he kept the display cases full, running the business end of things together.

So far the first afternoon on his own since opening left more to be desired from Kristoff as Elsa set to work on making up for lost time. After changing into her kitchen clothes she washed her hands and prepped the chocolate tempering machines. The first one she loaded with chopped bits of dark chocolate and the second with milk chocolate, setting the timers as she watched the chips melt into a silky pool of decadence. As the tempering wheel began to spin, a river of smooth rich chocolate fell from the top of the wheel and back into the lower pool of chocolate while Elsa set to work on blowing some sugar pieces to get a head start on the orders.

Kristoff strolled in an hour late, apologetic and looking like a complete mess. His hair was mussed and it appeared he hadn't shaved, clearly oversleeping for the umpteenth time this month. Elsa just laughed it off and continued to knead and pull the sugar into different bulbs and twisted tubes, connecting them together to form different oceanic scenes for the aquarium's annual charity gala on Saturday.

"Rough night?" she asked teasingly.

Kristoff groaned and cleared his voice, joining Elsa at the long marble table and opened a bin of chocolate molds to sort through.

"Did you have a hot date or something?" This time the tip of her tongue coyly touched the center of her upper lip and she gave the tall man a playful shove.

"Yes. I'm having a love affair with the shop. I was here till one trying to catch up with the orders but...I just can't do them as fast as you."

"Hans said you're going to have to get used to it," she sing-songed in a sarcastic sort of way.

"I thought we agreed the new rule was no Hans talk until after 10," he groaned. Kristoff and Hans had a mutual understanding that they didn't like each other but had agreed to be amicable for Elsa's sake. He may be her soon to be real husband but Kristoff was basically her work husband with the overprotectiveness of an older, bigger, stronger brother.

"Because apparently once I start having children I'm going to be akin to a stay-at-home mom," rolling her eyes as Kristoff burst into a hearty laugh.

"Ha! You, a stay-at-home mom. He's ridiculous. You sure you want to marry this guy? Just because it looks good on paper and your families are joined at the hip doesn't mean you have to." It sounded like a joke but she knew he wasn't kidding.

"I know that. That's not why I am."

"Then why? You know I think he's all wrong for you."

Elsa stopped and watched the work her hands were doing before flickering her eyes back to Kristoff.

"Because I love him...and he loves me."

"That is so sweet. Excuse me while I go vomit into pastry bag."

By lunch time the two had finished the backlog of orders and celebrated with lunch next door at a little bistro they frequented a least three times a week. The food was fast, super good, and healthy; who could ask for anything more?

"Now, I've caught up on all the orders and left you in charge of the smaller ones that have to be finished this afternoon. Can you please handle this on your own without me having to come in tomorrow and work double time again? I don't want to be at my dress fitting worrying about the kitchen going up in flames or God forbid even getting a negative review on Yelp. Okay?" giving him a stern look.

"Okay. Instead of thinking about how I'll screw everything up can you just imagine yourself pulling a Julia Roberts and pick a dress that will let you do the whole runaway bride thing?"

"That's not funny. You know he has twelve brothers and he still decided to make you a groomsman. You could try just a little you know."

Even though Hans and Elsa had been planning this wedding for almost a year now, Kristoff got this unsettling feeling like he was letting her go. Even though it was technically her father who was giving her away, he couldn't help but think about how becoming Mrs. Westergard would forever change their relationship as well.

"I'll try. Hans doesn't make it easy though."

"I know," she replied with a smile.

"Have a good fitting and hey…" he called after her just as she was heading out the door, prompting her to turn back. "I love you. Be safe," he said over his shoulder.

Elsa smiled back and their eyes locked for a brief moment. They did love each other, in more of a sibling way than anything else. Both were only children and their relationship was the closest thing they'd ever known to anything outside of that.

"I will. Love you too," she giggled a little as he watched her platinum plait spin back around and she headed out the door to her car.

* * *

><p>The room sparkled and glittered like a radiant chandelier as Elsa stood in front of a panel of mirrors perched high on an elevated platform. Her brilliant white gown shined like a diamond as she turned to admire the cathedral length train fanned out behind her. The dress was simply stunning and she was the envy of every woman in the bridal salon. With her hair swept back into a perfectly twisted bun it allowed for a breathtaking view of the cut of the dress over her elegant back.<p>

The owner and Mary, Elsa's wedding coordinator, returned with a veil and a shimmering silver comb to go along with it. Standing on a footstool the owner placed the veil on Elsa's head and secured the comb in front.

"You're a vision of perfection my dear. Any man would be lucky to have a woman such as yourself greet him at the end of that aisle."

"Thank you," Elsa replied shyly, the blush on her cheeks standing out even more against her all white attire. "Your work is beautiful. It's more than I could have ever dreamed of," Elsa remarked as she turned side to side in the mirror.

"They don't call her the fairy godmother for nothing Elsa," Mary quipped from behind her Blackberry.

"There's just a few more alterations to do on it before it's ready but the bustle is complete if you'd like to see it."

"Yes. I'd love to. If it's not too much trouble." They'd already spent so much time fawning over Elsa and ignoring the other clients that she was starting to feel a little guilty.

"Nonsense my dear. It's no trouble at all." The owner set to work with Mary's help, being that she was going to be the one tying up the bustle on the big day, and in no time the train and been transformed into a beautiful ruched backing that would allow Elsa to walk and dance about freely at the reception.

"Now remind me of your fiancé's name. Hank?" the owner tried to recall.

"Hans. Hans Westergard," Elsa replied with a blushing smile.

"That's right. Of Westergard Investments. Lucky girl," the owner simpered.

"No. _He's_ the lucky one. Elsa's father is the CEO of Everstad International, like the hotels," Mary boasted, causing Elsa to become extremely uncomfortable. She wasn't raised to gloat about what one's family did or to flaunt their money. The same couldn't be said for Hans but Elsa was classier than that.

"Oh my, well. Hans is definitely a lucky man. How did you two meet dear?" The owner was simply trying to make small talk as she took various measurements and stuck a few straight pins in the side of the gown.

"Our father's went into business together a long time ago and while our parents have alway been close, I didn't actually meet Hans until after I graduated from culinary school at his family's Christmas party. That was two years ago this past Christmas."

"What a wonderful way to meet. Young love during the holidays is so special. How does that feel?" smoothing the gown over Elsa tiny frame.

"Tight but comfortable. This corset is crushing me but it looks fabulous so I won't complain."

"Elsa, I don't say this to all my brides but you have such a lovely figure, I wish you'd have gone for something that was much lower cut," Mary said as she enviously roved her eyes up and down the dress.

The blushing bride turned and replied with a hint of a smirk. "I'm saving that for the honeymoon. Besides my father and all of his friends will be there and it's just not that kind of wedding."

"You're all set my dear. Mary will help get out of the dress and veil and everything will be ready in three weeks time. I will see you then my dear."

Back inside the dressing room in her simple jeans and blouse, Elsa's fingers played over the intricate embroidery on the gown. It was the most beautiful dress she'd ever seen. Everything was perfect. The flowers were perfect, the food was divine but she couldn't figure out why a part of herself was feeling hesitant about marrying Hans. She thought about what Kristoff had said. He didn't say things he didn't mean and she wished she had his blessing.

_I love him. I'm going to marry him. This is just cold feet is all. Nerves from all the planning. I want this. I want this_.

With one final look at the last dress she'd ever wear as Elsa Everstad, she said her goodbyes and made her way down the street to her car. It was nearly four and Hans would be home soon expecting dinner, provided he didn't have to work late that night. He was traditional like that. Knowing if she left then she'd get ahead of rush hour traffic and make it home in time to whip something up before Hans got home, Elsa started her car and drove towards the freeway entrance, heading back to the west side of town.

Delighted to find that the freeway was clear she bit her lips as she thought about what they had at home to make dinner with. The bright yellow sun was sitting just at the right height so that Elsa's visor couldn't block it out and she had to squint to see the road. The only downside of driving home at the end of the day but it was worth it to have a house so close to the ocean with a view to die for.

Just a few miles from home Elsa was leaning towards making steak over fish as she exited the freeway and waited for the light over the boulevard to turn green. After waiting for any last-minute red light runners Elsa stepped on the gas pulled out into the intersection as she heard the piercing sound of brakes sketching across the intersection, getting louder and louder as everything began to melt into slow motion.

She didn't even see the massive flatbed truck hurtling towards her as a crash blasted through the side of the car and a glittering shower of shards pelted her face. Seconds felt like hours and the only thing Elsa could hear was the beating of her own heart as the deafening sound of shattering glass welcomed her into darkness. Twisting metal and crunching plastic could still be heard as Elsa felt a thunderous throbbing on the side of her head before she succumbed to the peaceful sleep taking over her body; completely unaware that her car was crushed like a tin can beyond recognition as people in the intersection frantically ran from their cars to help her.

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><p><em>Anna next chapter, I promise XD.<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_At long last...I give you Anna. Thank you to my beta Elsanna-is-the-law._

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><p>The first four hours passed like days and they hadn't got to see Elsa. Banished to the desolate waiting room they all sat around in agony as minutes felt like hours. Alex and Iris had been the first to arrive at the hospital. Iris was a frantic hysterical mess when she found out her only daughter was in the Intensive Care Unit and Alex had to practically carry her through the hospital just to get her up to the fourth floor.<p>

As soon as Kristoff got the call from Alex he kicked everyone out of the store and shut the entire place down, leaving everything as it was as he raced to the west side of town.

Last but not least to arrive was Hans. He did have the longest commute out of all of them in the middle of rush hour and this time he actually had been trying to make it to Elsa without any delays. When he finally reached the waiting room he found the three of them huddled together in a mess of deep despondency and utter shock. It was obvious from her bloodshot blue eyes and puffy face that Iris had been crying. Kristoff had his fingers buried in his sandy blonde hair, hands firmly pressed against his forehead as he desperately tried to stay sane and hold out for the doctor to bring them any sort of news. Alex looked the part of the ever stoic father, barely holding himself together as he cradled his broken-hearted wife within his arms.

"What did they say?" Hans trembled as he shuffled his way into a seat near the tearful group. A patch of sweat glistened off his brow and Kristoff took pleasure in knowing the man had actually rushed to get to the hospital.

"She was hit by another car and is being treated right now. We don't know anything else other than the car was totaled." Alex didn't even make eye contact with Hans, eyes vacantly staring straight ahead as he tightened his hold on his sobbing wife.

After four and half hours a weary and bone-tired doctor in bland blue medical scrubs made his way out to the waiting room where everyone's heads and eyes perked at his attention.

"Everstad family?" he resounded woefully.

"Yes. We're Elsa's family," Alex answered boldly, as if he were the leader of an army against an unknown enemy.

"Elsa is currently stable." A huge united breath released from all of them before he could say another word. "That being said let me fill you in on exactly where we stand. According to the police report Elsa was broadsided on the driver's side by a flatbed truck. The airbags _did_ deploy but she hit her head rather hard on the side impact airbags, causing her brain to actually hit her skull at the force of impact. She suffered a minor laceration to the left side of her head which we sutured without a problem. Her body has some light bruising and her neck has an abrasion from the seat belt." The man paused to let that little bit of information sink in before he got to the heart of Elsa's injuries. Everyone clung to his every word as if it were written in testament, holding their breath as they waited for him to proceed.

"What is most concerning to us right now is the traumatic brain injury. She hit her head fairly hard and early scans show damage to her temporal lobe and hippocampus." Long faces twisted as their eyes narrowed and focused on a diagram of the human brain the doctor held up in front of them, following the movement of his pen as he pointed out the specific areas he'd mentioned. "Right here along the side is where she's showing signs of damage. These two areas are responsible for memory, specifically episodic memory. We're fairly certain Elsa will suffer from retrograde amnesia," he explained disheartedly.

As if he'd spoken to them in a foreign language, the family looked even more confused than before he even said a word.

"What does that mean?" Kristoff groaned in frustration, his own brain scrambling to figure out if this was life altering news or not.

"She will have lost a percentage if not all of her past memories, from the accident and as far back as birth. Though the damage doesn't seem severe enough for global amnesia, where's she'd lose everything, but we won't know how much she's retained until she wakes up. As of now she's still unconscious. I wish I had more information but we are in a waiting game right now." Each word was a bigger blow than the last as Iris began to sob into Alex's shoulder. Kristoff and Hans were still in shock and stared helplessly at the doctor.

"When can we see her?" Alex asked through a broken sob. He may have just received the worst news since his own diagnosis but his daughter was still alive and that meant he could keep hope alive as well. If they were in a waiting game, he was going to pray for the best outcome given the circumstances.

"I'll take you back to see her now but I want to prepare you for what you'll see. She's currently hooked up to several different machines and is bandaged up pretty well. Just brace yourselves and know that this is probably the worst part of the recovery journey."

Collectively, they let out a long breath and swallowed back their fears of what lay ahead of them. They followed the man's white lab coat through a labyrinth of hallways until they reached Elsa's room. The lights were dim, bathing the room in a depressing shade of muted grays. One by one they filed in and set their eyes on the woman before them, barely recognizable under the horrendous amount of medical equipment.

Not a breath could be heard as a various monitors beeped rhythmically into the void of the room. Cluttering towers of screens and machines surrounded the simple bed, at the center of which laid a comatose Elsa. Scads of twisted and tangled wires radiated out from every angle. Various other monitors were strapped and suctioned all over her arms and shoulders, staggered between reams of IV tubing that connected to her hand. Her neck was bound in a thick white brace, lifting her head at an awkward upright position to support the ventilator taped over her mouth.

The sight was almost frightening, so awful Iris couldn't even keep her eyes open; choosing to cover them as she wept uncontrollably. While everyone else stood inert in shock, Alex didn't hesitate to come right up to Elsa and caress her cheek, minding the gauze bandage wrapped entirely around her head. His eyes welled with tears as he muttered softly against daughter's ear.

For Kristoff he could hardly believe the sassy blonde that had giggled and smiled before him earlier in the day now looked like she was at death's door. His heart drowned in grief as he watched his best friend struggle just to breath. Someone who had been so full of life had just had it threatened, nearly taken from her and it made him realize just how fragile life even was.

Of all of them Hans was most shocked. On the outside of course he was gobsmacked seeing his precious fiancé like this. Despite everything, Elsa had truly been the most beautiful woman he ever laid eyes on. Her smile was infectious, her body possessed a goddess like perfection, and she really could make him laugh like he never had before. In the beginning she was the key to his rise to power. She was a link between him and unfathomable success. But he had been lucky that such a pawn was someone he didn't mind being with. In a split second, his entire world was almost taken from him. His wife, his future, and everything he'd worked hard for almost disappeared before his eyes.

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><p>"Patient's name is Elsa Everstad. She's been unconscious since yesterday but preliminary scans show that she's doing quite well for the kind of injuries she's sustained. We don't know the extent of her memory loss but the family has requested the best and… that's you," Dr. Weselton said as he flipped the chart closed and handed it off to the hospital's leading cognitive rehabilitation nurse standing next to him.<p>

"That would be me," Anna replied almost automatically as her eyes shifted from the chart in her hands to the blonde recovering in the bed before her.

Anna was young but as Weselton said, she was the best. She didn't come from much, raised by a single mom that did everything she could to support Anna through nursing school. She'd proven her worth with time and as soon as she landed her first job she wowed the upper management with her ability to connect with her patients and produce miraculous results. She not only helped patients recover from various forms of head trauma and amnesia but she was also part therapist, being their support and guiding them to a future they deserved. She was gifted, talented, whatever label they gave it she was instantly in high demand and Alex and Iris insisted that she be at their daughter's side the moment she woke up.

"She's breathing on her own today, kicking and thrashing a little but still hasn't woken up. Take a few minutes to look over the case and let me know what your thoughts are."

Alone with the just the sound of monitors melodically chirping in the background, Anna came closer to the bed to get a better look at her new patient while her eyes glanced back and forth at the information in the chart.

_Elsa Everstad. Elsa. That's pretty._

Thin frail arms lay at Elsa's side, strapped with medical tape to keep her IV properly attached but they had this translucent gray hue to them that lead Anna to believe the woman was extremely fair in her natural state. It was always difficult to get an idea of a person when meeting them right after their body had been through such trauma.

As her eyes continued to rove down Elsa's lissome body she noticed her nails were perfectly manicured, slender fingers lead to delicately pink French tipped nails and Anna smiled at the hint of girliness. Everything about Elsa seemed to evoke an image of femininity and grace.

The side of her head was crusted with a small smattering of blood and thoroughly bandaged but she had the most gorgeous long platinum hair Anna had ever seen. She couldn't even see Elsa's eyes but her lashes, nose, the outline of face; everything was just striking and beautiful, including the hefty diamond solitaire on her left hand.

_Married?_

The glittering stone brought Anna's eyes back to the chart as she continued to unravele Elsa's story.

_Emergency contact: Hans Westergard. Relationship: F__iancé__. She's engaged._

The thought was more melancholic given the fact that the primary reason Anna was there was memory loss. As if it wasn't bad enough to have survived an awful car accident and head injury, it pained Anna to know that there was some young man out there waiting for his future bride to wake up and come back to him. Her lips pressed into a deep frown knowing she was going to be the bearer of bad news to this family in some respect. She knew from experience that even if Elsa had the best prognosis she was going to have some memory loss, there was no doubt about it, and how much of that loss included her fiancé was still unknown.

_Age, 25. Oh, she's born just before Christmas. That's kind of nice. So that's...Sagittarius. Hmmm. Occupation: Self-employed, co-owner/executive chef of Forever Chocolate._

Nothing else in Elsa's chart made Anna light up more than a woman who made chocolate for a living. She was a self-proclaimed chocoholic herself but it always gave her some comfort knowing she had something in common with her patients.

Having satiated her curiosity Anna flopped the chart down on a side table and took a seat in the chair next to the bed, taking Elsa's icy cold right hand into her own. Touch was always such a powerful tool when it came to bringing someone back to consciousness and Anna wasted no time warming up that chilly hand with her own gentle caresses. There were still no signs of life, no change in the monitors but she knew that this was helping on some deeper level.

"Elsa. I know somewhere in there you can hear me. I'm Anna, one of the neurological nurses here at the hospital. You've been sleeping for a while and I need you to wake for me. If I'm not mistaken there's a Hans Westergard waiting out there for you with your family and I know he'd very much like to see you." The frail hand warmed slightly but there was still no response from the sleeping blonde.

"Well, don't stay away too long. The longer you're asleep...the harder it will be for the both of us. I'll be back tomorrow." Anna gave Elsa's hand one last squeeze before laying it gently back at her side. Before she left she added one more blanket over her to warm her up a little more and then slipped out of the room to run her thoughts by Elsa's medical team and return to her desk to write up some notes.

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><p>It wasn't even Friday and Anna's desk was already covered in paperwork. The only problem about being the best in her field was also having to be in high demand, and that translated to lots of paperwork. Insurance claims, chart notes, and Department of Health paperwork was strewn about the desk like a tornado had just blown through her office. <em>Coffee<em>. She definitely needed more coffee to tackle this paperwork monster that lay before her.

With her computer fired up, Anna began to drudge through her work; taking little sips of the worst drip coffee she'd ever had as she plugged along with her day. She griped to herself about the coffee whenever she was at the office but it was free so she continued to help herself each time. After twenty minutes of restlessness Anna finally got in the zone and hammered through report after report until the phone ringing on her desk broke her concentration.

"This is Anna," she answered in a forced perky tone. She hated interruptions but it just wasn't in her nature to be rude.

"Everstad is awake in room 417," a med tech declared sounding rather rushed on the other end.

"I'll be right there."

Like a lab rat running through an endless maze of white washed walls, Anna fervently strode to the ICU and met the team of doctors surrounding Elsa's bed.

"She just started coming to so we thought we'd call you," a nurse sputtered quickly.

"Thank you. If everyone could please clear out, that would be most helpful. No one wants to wake up to a room full of strangers staring at them like a spectacle," she said humbly, not wanting to overstep her boundaries when it came to politely telling physicians what to do.

After getting one last check of Elsa's vitals, the medical team left her alone to do her job. This was her specialty and being there when the patient woke up was integral to her work. She needed them to depend on her and trust her in order to lead them down the long road that lay ahead.

When Anna first entered the room Elsa had been mildly shaking her head back and forth but with the room quiet and relatively empty now, she was mellow and calm; looking much more like young woman than a cadaver now that some of the medical wiring had been stripped away.

Anna sat patiently in a chair next to Elsa's bed, watching intently as her eyes rapidly shifted below her lids and waited for that electric moment when she'd re-enter the world, when finally it happened.

"Hi there," Anna whispered gently.

Fluttering lashes lifted to reveal piercing sky blue eyes that slowly started to focus on Anna's smiling face. The poor woman looked a bit shaken and understandably confused as her eyes drifted to each corner of the room, slowly putting the pieces together as the harsh hospital lighting stung her tired eyes.

"Everything's okay. You're in the hospital."

Eyes studied the tower of monitors and tubes next to her, confirming what the woman said was true. She was in fact in the hospital but who in the world was this person in front of her?

As her eyes came back to meet Anna's, Elsa's lips parted as if she were about to speak and Anna quickly shook her head, lightly shushing her.

"Don't try to speak. Just let yourself adjust slowly."

The room itself was stale and bland, a white on white motif that resembled a generic sterile hospital room. The image in front of her was wildly vivid in contrast, so real and expressive that it captivated her attention without even trying. Long red hair that reminded her of a New England fall cascaded over both of the woman's shoulders in two loose braids. Bright wide eyes beheld the most vibrant teal-blue irises that rivaled crystal clear Caribbean waters, so kind and warm as they held her gaze. Across her cheeks and the bridge of a cute button nose were a constellation of freckles that made the corner of Elsa's lips slip into a hint of a smile.

"I'm Anna." The smile stretched wider. Even her voice was just as pleasant as the gleam on her face, so lovely and soothing.

"You were in a car accident and hit your head pretty bad. But I'm going to help take care of you," keeping her words as small and simple as possible. Her poor brain had been rattled so hard and this was the one time Anna knew her prattling was a deficit to her job and kept it under control.

"Can you nod your head yes and no?" she asked.

Elsa took a few minutes to allow the numbness to expel from her body and let it fire to life as her mind and body became one again; slowly nodding to Anna.

"Good. That's a good start Elsa." Anna smiled again as she watched Elsa blink a few times and followed her eyes as they curiously crept up her body at the pace of a garden snail, examining every detail of the redhead before her.

"Do you know what day it is?"

The adorable little smile pressed back into a worried line and her blonde hair fell into her line of vision as she shook her head.

"Do you know who Alex and Iris are?"

This time there wasn't much of a pause at all as Elsa nodded, smile returning to those rosy cheeks dusted in the lightest of pale freckles.

"Are they your parents?" Another quick nod.

"Great," Anna beamed, solidifying that Elsa was thankfully out of contention for global amnesia. "Elsa I'm going to be coming by here a few times a day to help you get better. Right now I know your family would like to see you very much. Would you like to see them?" Funny how she was finding herself almost sing-songing to Elsa as if she were a child. She normally wasn't this merry with her patients but there was something about those wondrous blue eyes before her and those quirking lips that made Elsa just simply adorable.

"Yes," Elsa said softly, causing Anna's eyes to shoot open at the unexpected verbal response. What was more shocking than speaking was her voice. It was so angelic and achingly fragile.

"I said no talking," Anna teased, leaning her head towards Elsa as she flashed her a playful look. That only made Elsa's smile a little bigger and Anna was pretty sure Elsa had set a new record for fastest time a patient had charmed the pants off Anna. She'd only uttered a single word yet the redhead had certified her positively delightful. Working with patients she found personable always made her job feel less like work and fathoms more rewarding.

"Well, I better go talk to them first before I send them in here. In the meantime, would it be alright if the medical staff came in and checked you out?"

The blonde obeyed her orders and nodded this time, snuggling back into the mattress as her weary body sought more rest.

"Okay. Oh, and I'm sure they'll try to get some nutrients into you later. If you're hungry, I highly recommend the lasagna. Lots of cheese and it's just really really good." Elsa nodded again and Anna could have sworn her cheeks blushed a shade darker. "I'll see you later Elsa."

After jotting down a few quick notes and slamming a Styrofoam cup of stale break room coffee, Anna gathered everyone in a meeting room down the hall from where Elsa's room was. One by one they each filed through the door and took a seat at the long oval table while Anna placed herself at the head, sifting through notepads and chart notes as four sets of saddened eyes fell to her for guidance.

"Good morning everyone. I'm Anna Greenway one of the cognitive rehabilitation nurses that will be working with your Elsa. I wanted to gather you all together to get a little more information on her in order to put together a plan for her recovery. I don't know very much about you but I know that you're the most important people in her life and I'm going to be the only one to help you reconnect with her and get as many of those memories back as possible."

The room was quiet and Alex unfolded his hands to hold Iris' under the table, giving her a light squeeze as they held onto that last shred of hope Anna represented for them.

"Thank you Anna. We're here to help, right?" Alex lifted his eyes and scanned each person for conformation, pleased to see that Kristoff and Hans were able to handle sitting on the same side of the table without causing a commotion. For once they'd put their differences aside for Elsa's sake.

"Of course," they replied in unison. Iris' frown lifted into a hint of a smile and everyone directed their eyes back to Anna.

"What can we do to help? We feel so helpless that we'd love to do whatever we can to get started," Iris said softly, tightening her grip on Alex's hand and trying to hold herself together; burying any feelings of doubt left floating through her mind.

"I haven't asked Elsa to talk yet, she needs to come out of this slowly so we don't overwhelm her brain. We have no idea how many years she's lost but she does remember her parents since she nodded when I asked if she knew who Alex and Iris were. Again I didn't press her beyond that." Anna flashed a sympathetic smile to Hans and Kristoff who looked even more deflated at that bit of news.

"The oldest memories will be the easiest to get back so what I'd like to do is create a timeline for each of your relationships, except for Iris and Alex who...obviously have known her since birth." Anna pulled out a bright yellow legal pad and clicked a black ball point pen as she prepared to take down some notes.

"I'm going to ask a few questions and just raise your hand if it applies to you. Who here interacts with Elsa on a daily basis and I mean daily, as in every single day?" Kristoff and Hans raised their hands and Alex's head hung a bit lower, figuring that wasn't a good thing but also tried to remember that his memory was already preserved.

Anna continued. "Who here has known Elsa the least amount of time? I ask because the newest memories will be the most difficult to regain, if she ever even does." Looking as if he'd just received a death sentence, Hans glanced around to each person at the table before defeatedly raising his hand, immediately pressing it to his forehead in devastation.

"Okay. Let's map out the timeline. Kristoff how long ago did you first meet Elsa and where?"

Life returned to Kristoff's eyes and he sat up straight, eyes shifting up and to the right as he recalled their first day of culinary school together.

"I met Elsa almost five years ago at culinary school. We were partners in one of the baking classes," his lips puckering into a pout as it pained him to even think about the memory at a time like this. "We also opened up our own business together three years ago. I only say that because it's a big deal to her and it's more recent so, I don't know if that helps to know or not," Kristoff said with a shrug.

"Everything helps. Thank you. And Hans you're Elsa's fiancé, yes?" Anna asked gently, glancing up from her notepad.

Hans nodded and cleared his throat. "Yes, that's correct."

"Tell me the course of your relationship since it's probably the most pressing and will be a big focus of our work."

"Elsa has known about me for a long time, probably since she was five or six," looking to Alex for conformation who nodded in agreement. "But we didn't actually meet in person until two years ago a Christmas party. We started dating just after that and I proposed to her on Valentine's Day a year later…" His hand gripped tightly against the edge of the solid wood table as his anger towards the cruel world brewed to the surface. With a harsh lick of his lips he pressed on. "We've been planning our wedding since then and it _was_ to be in June of this year." Hans' chin began to quiver yet he held his composure. Iris on the other hand pressed a hand to her mouth and let a few tears trickle down her face, mourning the potential loss of the most important day of her daughter's life. Seeing his wife tear up, Alex wrapped an arm around her and quietly whispered words of hope into her ear.

"I don't know what we're up against but I'm going to do my best to make sure we get her back on track and regain those memories. The other thing I think we should talk about are the possible personality changes that can come with traumatic brain injury. We have no idea what version of her is going to emerge and I'm depending on all of you to let me know what you notice is different and remind me of how she was before the accident. The plan from here on out is for Elsa to return home in a few days. Until then, we have to take things slow and give Elsa all the time she needs. In the meantime, I'll be right by your side to get you through this and above all... get Elsa back."

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><p><em>You guys are so awesome. It's only chapter 3 and people are already pretty excited about this story. What more could a writer ask for? Thank you all so much!<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_My apologies for the slight delay. Thank you to my beta Elsanna-is-the-law. Without further adieu..._

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><p>The previous night had been a full moon and no matter what the theories were on the matter, the hospital was jammed with medical staff and gurneys all trying to find places for patients they had no room for. Caught in a crowded elevator that harbored the most disturbing smell of overworked nurses and physicians, Anna clutched her coffee in one hand and held her charts close to her chest in the other; being careful not to get bumped and spill her coffee on her brand new blouse. One of the perks of being a specialist was getting to wear professional clothing instead of the normal scrubs nurses wore. Scrubs were comfortable and all but Anna felt much more confident and respected in something that complimented her personality and style as opposed to the Hello Kitty scrubs she worn as a nursing student.<p>

Anna finally made it to her desk and looked over the day's schedule. A few meetings, some time for paperwork, and then patients. Right at the top of her short list was Elsa and a smile popped up on her face as her eyes traced over the short yet elegant sounding name. Nurses would never disclose to their patients the fact that they had favorites. Yes, they worked just as hard for each and every one of their patients but there were some that were more enjoyable or interesting than others. Elsa happened to be both if not more.

With a second cup of coffee and morning meetings now behind her, Anna grabbed a muffin from the area where staff members who had an affinity for baking left their offerings for the masses to enjoy.

With her stomach and furious appetite now thoroughly satiated, grumbling brought to a halt for the time being, Anna began to gleam with a bounce in her step as she approached room 417 where the case of the intriguing blonde was currently residing on the fourth floor.

"Morning. How are you feeling?", Anna chirped blithely as she sauntered into Elsa's darkened room. All of the vertical blinds were drawn and the stark white lights overhead had been turned off, casting the room in the electronic glow of the monitors.

"Not so good," Elsa groaned. "I think I'm starting to feel the pain this morning and the painkillers are making me really nauseous." Looking a little sea sick and glum, Anna frowned as Elsa remained flat against the angled bed, experiencing too much vertigo to sit up properly even for Anna.

"Poor thing," the redhead lilted and came to stand next to Elsa, patting the side of her arm affectionately in a way that made Elsa feel a small zing of relief. "I'll have somebody bring you some anti-nausea meds to help you out. I have a few questions for you but if you're not feeling up to it we can do it another time," Anna asked before she sat down and crossed her slender legs at the ankle.

With her face even more pale than usual, Elsa felt like she had the world's worst hangover but without the memory of the fun night of drinking to go with it and she had so been looking forward to seeing Anna since she woke up. All of the other doctors and specialists were crotchety older males and perky little genteel Anna, who was closer to Elsa's age, was like a refreshing ray of sunshine in the midst of Elsa's currently stormy life. At second glance she guesstimated that Anna was perhaps even younger than her but she was decades closer to her age than anyone else on her medical team.

"No, now is good. I could use the company." That sullen look lurking behind her cerulean eyes faded into a glimmer of a faint smile as Anna did the same, making those umber freckles rise higher on the apples of her cheeks as she did so.

"Alright," sounding like a regretful warning. "It's a lot of questions so if you want to stop at any time just let me know."

"I will." Frail hands rested on top of Elsa's woozy stomach as she readied herself for whatever Anna had in store. She'd been honest when she said wanted the company. She enjoyed the few times she'd seen her parents already but they looked so miserable and dejected every time they came that it plagued Elsa with guilt. Anna was great because the woman exuded such a positive vibe and the last time she came, the mood lingered with Elsa like the sweet smell of a wafting perfume for hours after Anna left. She even found herself peeking out into the hallway to check and see if Anna was coming all too often now.

Slipping a pen out from under her clipboard, Anna flipped to her list of questions and began to rattle them off, taking care to go at a moderate speed for Elsa's sake.

"How old are you?" Anna began.

"Twenty," her voice achingly soft.

That was not the worst answer Anna had ever heard but it wasn't the best either. The rapid fire questioning continued and they quickly set their own pace to the back and forth style.

"Elsa, who do you live with?"

"Myself."

"And what is it you do, for a living?"

"I'm a student."

"Where at?"

"UCLA."

Anna glanced down at her timeline everyone had helped her put together and captured her bottom lip between her teeth as she studied it carefully. Based on what Elsa was saying she had regressed five years and in her mind, hadn't even left her undergraduate program to start culinary school yet. Up ahead on the timeline after culinary school was her first meeting with Kristoff and so Anna dug a little further to see if she recognized his name.

"Elsa, do you know a Kristoff Bjorgman?" the black ball point pen hovered over the yellow legal pad, twitching to write something, anything that nudged Elsa further down her timeline.

"No. Should I?" cocking her head to one side as Anna suddenly became aware of just how long Elsa's hair really was, watching it fall over the side of her face like a sheet of fine silk.

"We'll get to that but you're doing great so far. This isn't a test you can fail," flashing an effervescent smile that made Elsa feel more at ease.

"Elsa, do you know a Hans Westergard?" she asked anyway, sadly knowing it was a shot in the dark at this point.

"He's one of the sons of my father's business associates." Elsa looked perplexed as she ran a hand gently through her hair and was briefly distracted by the hospital bracelet poking at her left wrist.

"Have you ever met him?"

"No. I believe he's in graduate school back east. I've never met him but I know _of_ him." Anna pursed her perfectly bowed lips and glanced at her notes, seeing Hans had said the exact same thing. At least they were slightly familiar with each other and Elsa probably could remember Hans' family. That wasn't as bad and being complete strangers before the accident and gave Anna a bit more to work with.

"And lastly, I am?", pointing to herself with the pen.

"Anna Greenway", Elsa answered quickly followed by a soft smile, cheeks coloring a becoming shade of pink. Elsa didn't know if it was because she'd always been the perfect academic type growing up or what but she found herself wanting to please Anna in whatever way she could.

"Perfect. I think you're going to be fine but I need to tell you some things first that might sound a bit jarring, so I want to prepare you." Anna scribbled down a few last minute notes and organized her thoughts before gently breaking the news to Elsa.

"When you hit your head in the accident, part of your brain suffered some memory loss. From what you're telling me I'm guessing you've lost at least five years' worth of memories."

Elsa's smile slipped away as her mouth fell open and she looked back at Anna completely dumbfounded. Her perfectly arched brows pinched together until they formed parentheses and she figured this had to be some sort of bad dream.

"You're twenty-five years old. You _were_ a student at UCLA but left to enter culinary school. You graduated and opened you own chocolate store." A sympathetic smile tugged at Anna's lips, allowing Elsa to absorb the shock of the news.

"The people you asked me about…" Elsa questioned wide eyed, slowly putting it all together in her foggy mind.

"One is a friend, your business partner actually, and the other is your fiancé. Hans Westergard is your fiancé Elsa."

"Fiancé?!" Elsa repeated in shock. In an instant she noticed the smooth rubbing of a ring around her left finger and glanced down to find the sparkling diamond. "Wait, _slow_ down," waving her hands as if they could stop time itself. "I'm engaged to someone I've _never_ met?!"

Anna's eyes went back to her notes. "According to your family you dated for a year and have been engaged for a little over a year. Those are missing memories that we're going to try and get back. I know this is really jarring and probably even frightening but it's going to be alright. Just take a moment to let yourself digest everything I've said."

No matter how many times Elsa looked at and fiddled with the ring, it was still there, casting hundreds of tiny dancing rainbows against the alabaster skin of her face. Her eyes searched Anna's for an explanation but there was none as she'd already told her a chunk of her life had vanished into thin air.

"I wanted to tell you about Hans and Kristoff before you saw them because they care for you so deeply and have been here waiting on pins and needles to see you. It wouldn't be fair to any of you to go through this all together and figure it out for yourselves. That's really difficult for family members to find out things that way."

As if Elsa entirely disregarded what Anna just said she stopped staring at the ring long enough to clarify the statement she couldn't seem to swallow. "Just so I'm clear, I'm engaged to Hans Westergard, Harold Westergard's son, and he has been waiting to see me since..." eyes glancing upwards as she tried to recall what day it was, which was useless considering Elsa didn't even accurately know what year it was.

"He saw you when you were unconscious but he's been waiting to talk to you for two days."

Disbelief quickly morphed into panic for Elsa who now felt like she'd been ripped out of her life and thrust into some alternate universe where apparently she was engaged to Hans Westergard, the type of man she _never_ saw herself ending up with.

"Anna, I don't remember any of this. I don't even know what to say or what to do. If what you're saying is true and I don't feel the same...I'm going to break his poor heart," pressing her hands to her temples as she brought her knees into her chest. As if Elsa didn't already feel queasy enough, now she was starting to think about grabbing that ugly pastel kidney tray as her breakfast threatened to make a return trip up her esophagus.

"We're getting ahead of ourselves. No one expects you to pick up your life where you left off. Not the life _you_ remember and not the life _they_ remember. That's what's so nice about me is I just met you. I don't have any expectations other than to help your brain create new links to lost memories and if that doesn't happen, I help you make a new life for yourself. I only care about you. You're my patient. Not Hans or Kristoff or even your parents, no matter how badly I want you all to have a happy ending."

The grimace wound so tightly into Elsa's features began to uncoil as Anna spoke. Her world was in chaos but she had someone looking out for her and that sent a rush of calm to roll through her body; letting Anna's friendly eyes bring out a smile she didn't know she was hiding.

"I think you're right. I just need some time to think about everything. It's so strange to feel like I was going to class one day and then I wake up in the hospital to what feels like someone else's life. I mean I can't believe I'm engaged."

"Don't forget you're 25 and that's not an unusual age to get married," Anna reminded, trying to calm the fretting blonde before her.

"No but I just came from a world where I was living on my own and had been single forever."

Anna caught herself scrunching her face at the statement. How in the world did someone so attractive and captivating manage to maintain the status of single, ever? Considering Elsa's looks, name, and pleasant personality she'd assumed she'd had guys line up around the block for a chance with her.

"Can I ask when your last relationship, of any length, that you remember was?" reaching for her notepad as she readied her trusty pen.

Elsa rolled her shoulders forward and if Anna didn't know better could have sworn she was a bit bashful about the subject, trying to mentally swat away how cute she found the whole thing and focus on the case at hand.

"I dated a guy at the beginning of the semester but not even for two months. I've never been in a long term relationship." Her impossibly large cobalt eyes broke from Anna's as she watched her thumbs twiddle on top of her abdomen.

"If you don't mind me saying, it seems like you would have quite the social life. You're pretty and well-spoken and from what everyone has told me, a pure joy to be around."

"I'm not the most social person. I keep to myself and I only let a few people into my life. Quality versus quantity. That's just how I've always been," she said with a shrug and brought her gaze back up to meet the kindest aquamarine eye she'd ever seen staring back at her.

"I completely understand," Anna said though a soft laugh before breathing a long sigh. She glanced at the clock and was surprised and saddened by how much time had gone by, having other patients on her list to get to before lunch time. Elsa rolled on to her side and pulled the covers up, looking like sleep was slowing taking over as her eyes fluttered and lidded.

"I think that's probably enough for today. We can talk more tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it." Too nauseous to even speak, Elsa smiled as wide as she could and nodded her head as Anna headed out the door.

* * *

><p>The following morning Elsa looked like a completely new person when Anna entered her new room on the second floor. Elsa had been doing relatively well and was transferred from ICU to the general inpatient floor of the hospital. The perks of the new room were not only better decor but Anna had more patients on that floor, providing Elsa with ample opportunities to catch a glimpse of Anna's copper hair as she passed by her door.<p>

"Wow, you look lovely this morning. Looks like someone came and pampered you a little," Anna beamed as she pulled up a chair to Elsa's bedside. A smile played across the blonde's lips when Anna's freckled nose wrinkled as she spoke.

Elsa's beautiful blonde hair was in a long loose braid with her bangs swept casually off to the side. Her face had a bit more color to it and from the looks of it she has a hint of lipstick and gloss on. The cutest touch was the bright pink nail polish on her wiggling toes.

"Yes, my mom sort of gave me a make over. She wants to help and doesn't know how so she thought this would help. And it does. I don't feel as grubby. I can't wait to go home and take a shower." Her radiant smile fell as her lips parted at the memory of what Anna had said the day before. Her idea of home, a little one bedroom apartment in Westwood near school, didn't exist. It was still there, just someone else lived there and she'd lived in two other places before moving in with Hans apparently. It was strange to think someone else was living in her apartment now and she felt a little homeless at the moment. She could always go to her parents' house of course but she'd been living on her own for quite some time and rather enjoyed it.

"Anna. Where am I going when I leave here?" her sullen blue eyes latching onto Anna's like an anchor in a storm of uncertainty.

"I'm going to talk about that with your family. Don't worry. I'm going to make sure that you have a smooth transition out of here." Anna's rosy pink cheeks soothed away any qualms she was having. It was comforting to know that wherever Elsa went, Anna would be there for home visits every day to start with.

It was still early in their treatment but Anna could tell Elsa was already going through that imprinting phase some patients went through, especially younger women like Elsa. They were just like a baby duckling attaching to its mother, eyes never leaving and following her every move. It wasn't unusual and completely understandable that Anna became their pillar of strength when their whole world had been turned upside down. And Anna loved being that for them. She loved being the one who could show them they could rise above their misfortune and be strong. She helped them regain a life even if they never regained their memories and she was their ally against the frightening world they woke up to and stood by their side until they could stand on their own.

Elsa was young, beautiful, and smart. Even if she never regained her memories Anna knew her prognosis was really good. It was a case she was thrilled to take on, a challenge but one she approached with eagerness.

This particular morning Anna did away with the long list of personal questions and continued with some other cognitive assessments that gauged where Elsa's learning and language levels were at. She passed every test with flying colors and Anna couldn't help but feel optimistic for Elsa's case. She wasn't having any speech or short term memory problems and that was good. She also wasn't showing any signs of anger or mood problems that some patients experienced. Other than pain, headaches, and a five year gap in her life Elsa was right as rain.

It was only their third meeting but Elsa already felt like Anna knew a lot about her and she hardly knew anything about Anna. With nothing much else to do in a boring hospital bed Elsa kept her eyes peeled for any sign of Anna out in the hallway but only saw the occasional flash of red hair wiz by and wasn't learning anything more about this woman.

* * *

><p>Sometime after lunch Elsa had pushed aside her half eaten plate of lasagna and flipped through a few magazines her mom had brought by when she heard that unmistakable voice out in the hallway. Plagued with curiosity, Elsa leaned forward and Anna's voice got louder but she still couldn't see her. Dressed in nothing but a hospital gown she crouched forward on all fours until she spied Anna on the phone over at the nurses' station, smiling and laughing so gleefully it made Elsa's eyes knit as to what would make her so giddy.<p>

She couldn't hear very well but she got caught bits and pieces, her lips curling down into a frown when she heard something along the lines of _yes I can come over later._ Looks like Anna had a boyfriend or someone who made her light up like the night sky on the Fourth of July.

And why was she frowning? So what if Anna had a boyfriend. She was young and gorgeous, why shouldn't she? She realized she'd been cooked up in the hospital too long and was silly enough to think that Anna didn't have a life of her own. Yes, she was great company but seeing her was part of Anna's job. She probably had her own home and her own hobbies and maybe even someone to share all that with.

Elsa had been so lost in her thoughts about Anna's life outside of the hospital that she didn't even notice that the redhead was looking right at her, caught red handed on all fours eavesdropping on her conversation but it didn't seem like Anna minded.

"Fine but I know you have math homework to do as well buddy. I'll help you with math and then I can help you with English," Anna giggled into the phone smooshed between her ear and shoulder.

_Wait, that can't be a boyfriend. Why would he have math and English homework? Why do I care?!_

Embarrassed by her own actions Elsa crept back into bed and pulled the covers over her head, trying to drown out her urge to figure out this Anna person.

* * *

><p>Later that day the whole family was back in the meeting room with Anna trying to come to an agreement about how to proceed with Elsa's life and its altered state. There were a lot of decisions to be made and everyone's emotions were still so raw and they hadn't slept much either the last few nights.<p>

"We have to think about the shop. It's not fair to Kristoff or Elsa to not see to it that it continues to operate in her absence," Alex declared as they moved through their list of concerns. No Elsa meant a lot of loose ends for Kristoff to tie off and he was already starting to feel the pressure of running things on his own.

"Elsa's irreplaceable. The only option is to hire more help. There's other people out there that can help me keep it going but they're not going to be able to replicate her work. It's one of a kind. But I'll handle the business. Just get her well, that's all I care about," his saddened brown eyes turning to Anna, their only hope from here on out.

"We'll find someone. We don't know how long this could last and I'm not about to let either one of you lose something you've worked so hard for. Even if she doesn't remember, the shop and her work are still important to her," Alex reminded with a heavy heart.

"The last thing we need to discuss is where Elsa is going home to. It's a difficult decision because she doesn't remember Hans, their home, or their life together. However, it's where she spent the past year and a half," Anna started as she addressed the room full of tired faces.

"That's not going to frighten her? I'm fine with her going home I'm just worried about her being alone with what feels likes a stranger. No offense," Iris said turning to Hans. "Shouldn't she come home to us? To what's familiar to her?"

"That's the problem. Familiar isn't going to get her memory to reconnect to the parts that have been lost. All those memories are locked in her unconscious and exposing her to what she lost will help make those connections."

Anna's lips pursed into a line; she hated this part. For her starting the road to recovery was exciting but for the family it was always so difficult to have to make so many decisions after just nearly losing a family member. The room was filled with long faces, still gripped with sorrow and despair as they faced the tough road ahead.

"I'll leave you all to talk about finalizing Elsa's discharge plans. I just encourage you to think about what would best help her. What would help bring her memories back and to be honest, I know how much you want to take care of your daughter right now and you're the only people she remembers but returning her to where her daily life took place is probably going to produce the best results. I'll be in touch later today to talk about how you'd like to go forth."

Anna gathered her notes and charts and gave the family a warm and supportive smile before leaving the room. Hans immediately stood up and assumed the position where Anna had been standing in front of the room, taking command of the situation so that he could not only follow through with Anna's recommendation but sway Iris and Alex into thinking that he was trustworthy enough to let Elsa come home with him; an opportunity he wasn't about to blow.

"Well you heard her. Look, we all care about her but the best thing is for Elsa is to come home with me. To her home, her bed, to me. I can handle this. I can take care of her," he pleaded to Alex and Iris.

"Just like you were?", Kristoff questioned from behind crossed arms, his normally charming face staring icily at Hans as he fought to control himself.

"Excuse me?" Hans replied with a chuckle.

"You heard me. You think I don't know? You think I don't know about how you were 'taking care of her' before? You treated her like shit! And she still loved you. So much so that she was probably in a hurry to get home just to make you dinner. Just to please you so you wouldn't skip out on her again."

"My relationship with my fiancé is not your business, so watch your fucking step," Hans shouted across the table, angrily pointing a threatening finger at Kristoff.

"This is your fault! This is your fucking fault!", jumping out of his seat in blast of rage. "And you're not even worth it! I can't count how many times she'd leave early just to go home and play housewife to you because she was afraid you would leave her if she didn't give you exactly what you wanted." Iris and Alex's eyes darted back and forth like they were watching a fast paced tennis match, not sure if they were more stunned by the allegation or the explosion of anger between the two.

"I worked, for _her_! So that I could give her the life she deserved!", Hans countered, now pointing his finger in the direction of Elsa's room as his chin quivered with emotion.

"By fucking around behind her back!"

"Fuck you Kristoff!"

"Stop! Both of you!" Alex demanded with a pound of his first on the table, causing Iris to jump a good foot out of her chair. "I don't care who's right or wrong here. I want my daughter happy and you two should be thinking about getting Elsa back. Not bickering like some animals." Kristoff's eyes lowered to Alex's hand; the fist was profusely shaking down at his side. The two men distanced themselves from each other and the charged energy of the room began to settle, everyone retaking their seats.

"Alex, I'm sorry but you know I love Elsa. I only want what's best for her." Alex admired the way Kristoff was trying to protect his daughter, even if his passion had got the best of him. They were all tired and had been through the wringer the past few days and their behavior was some understandable.

"And I don't?" Hans narrowed his gaze at Kristoff, daring the man to continue his tirade.

"You know what, she's not coming home with me and none of this is my decision. I'm just going to leave so you all can figure this out." Throwing his hands up, Kristoff stood and strode to the door, glaring eyes never leaving Hans smug face.

"Kristoff don't, please," Iris begged.

"I can't be in the same room with this guy for another second. What she ever saw in you I'll never know." The two men shared a look of utter disdain before Kristoff shut the door and Iris melted into Alex's arms, succumbing to the constant struggle their lives had become.

On the way to the elevator he passed by Elsa's room and peered in through the crack of the doorway. She was peacefully sleeping, looking much better than she did the day before. Her hair was braided back and resting over her shoulder. The number of IVs had been stripped down to just one to administer pain meds and he caught himself smiling thinking things might actually be getting better. He slipped inside the room and slowly walked towards the bed, happy to see her breathing on her own but devastated that he had lost his dear sweet friend, even if she was right before his eyes. The only hope Kristoff had was that he'd met Elsa not long after the point where her memory was stuck and hoped she would regain his memory at some point. Either way he wasn't going to give up without a fight. He wasn't going to give up on her.

His hand brushed back a wild strand of platinum bangs and his lips pulled into a frown. No matter what, he was happy she was alive and relatively healthy. His eyes followed the trails of bruises still covering her porcelain skin and a dark red line on her neck from where the seatbelt had dug into her tender flesh. It pained him to see her like this when he'd always known her to be so caring of others; now it was Elsa who needed help. Before he left he knelt down over her bedside and gave her a kiss on her temple, being careful not to wake her.

"Be strong Elsa."

* * *

><p><em>Just a reminder, this fic updates on Wednesday around 8am PST. Thank you to everyone who has been leaving reviews here and on tumblr. They give me a huge boost XD.<em>


	5. Chapter 5

_As always, thank you to my beta Elsanna-is-the-law._

* * *

><p>Hans paced up and down the shiny linoleum floors of the hallway outside Elsa's new room. The observation floor was much nicer than any of the previous ones Elsa had been on. Alex had insisted that she been given the best accommodations the hospital offered, at an extra cost of course, but the lively colors and comfortable bedding were doing his daughter wonders. Many of the scratches on Elsa's face were starting to heal and she'd figured out a way to position her braid over the gash on her neck to hide it. The bruises once covering her body were almost gone and she was smiling more each day. But the comfort of the hospital was about to end and Iris, Alex, and Hans had spent the past few days figuring out the best plan for Elsa's discharge and recovery at home. Following Anna's advice they all decided to let Elsa return home with Hans. Anna would come for home visits every day for the first few weeks and Iris made herself readily available to come over during the day to help Elsa adjust and keep a familiar face around her as much as possible. The only thing left to do was tell Elsa herself.<p>

Nerves were starting to set in as Hans checked his hair for the third time in the reflection of the framed floral art on the wall, shifting and reshifting the strands of bright auburn hair until it fell into a place he was satisfied with. He was dressed rather nicely for a hospital in his crisp slacks, casual dress shirt, and sport coat. It was almost an embarrassing feeling to know he was going to speak to his fiancé for the first time in a week but what he was really doing was making a first impression all over again. He was going to walk into that room and have to start all over again with Elsa.

At last Iris emerged from the room and smiled warmly at Hans, shutting the door behind her.

"I talked to Elsa and explained everything. She's a little nervous but also understands why this is necessary. Just remember what Anna said about this probably being temporary. You never know, she could get home and start remember things." Hans smiled but she could see the hopelessness teeming in his piercing green eyes. "Anyhow, she's ready for you," giving him a small hug as she whispered _good luck_.

He took a deep breath and flattened his coat against his chest before entering, bracing himself for the moment he'd been eagerly awaiting and dreading for the past few days. He expected to find Elsa in bed looking much like she had the last time he saw her but he was pleasantly surprised to see that she was dressed in her own clothes instead of a drab hospital gown and her hair and makeup were perfectly done, thanks to Iris' help.

"Oh wow. You look beautiful," he said before he could stop himself. The gorgeous blonde and her bright blue eyes had him weak in the knees already.

Hans kept his distance from Elsa who was sitting cross legged on the bed, her eyes glancing him over top to bottom. He wanted to run up and hold her so badly but he knew he couldn't. Resisting the urge he instead let his eyes drink in the sight of the death defying goddess before him.

"Thank you. You must be Hans," she said politely, an unsettling waver in her voice.

"I am." The way his face brightened when he said that was reassuring to Elsa in a way. She had no idea what to expect but at face value, Hans didn't seem all that bad. He was handsome at least. A strapping young man who was clean-cut and clean shaven, dressed smartly and smelt delightfully musky. "Elsa I know this must seem so strange to you. To wake up and find out you're engaged to someone you don't remember but I promise my intentions are nothing but pure. I know you can't possibly feel the same for me right now but I want you to know that I love you very much and I promise to take the best care of you until we see this through."

A valiant effort, she thought to herself. He was right about one thing, it was strange. Strange to have someone she'd just met profess their love to her, a version of her she didn't even know.

"I'm just going to ask straight out and you can be honest with me. Do you want to come home with me?" Until now she'd been looking at him but past him at the same time, not really taking in any details but giving him the respect of her attention. But when her eyes finally met his soft emerald eyes, the pain and sadness were almost overwhelming. She may have been apprehensive but she owed it to herself and her family to give this crazy plan a try.

"Anna says it's the best way to regain my memory and I trust her. Not only that but I really don't want to live with my parents again right now." That brought an even bigger smile to his face, his cheeks nearly as pink as hers.

"If it helps, all your things are already there. We don't have to rush into anything. You can have your own room, whatever you want. I just want you to feel comfortable."

The awkwardness hung over the room like an ominous dark cloud and both of them were starting to feel like this was going to be a much longer road to travel than they originally expected.

"Can I sit by you?" Hans asked timidly, desperately wanting to be closer to her. It was excruciating to have her right in front of him, looking so healthy and beautiful and not be able to kiss or touch her; like an exquisite porcelain doll meant for looking only, to be admired and appreciated from afar.

Elsa nodded and he chuckled to himself when a section of her bangs fell in front of her eyes. The same section he used to always tuck back for her in a time that now seemed eons ago. Cautiously, he lifted himself onto the edge of the bed and he felt something awful pierce his heart when she scooted away.

"Everything's going to be okay Elsa. I'm not going to bite," he joked, getting a small laugh out of her that sounded like the sweetest music to his ears. "It's so good to hear you laugh again."

Suddenly aware of the walls she'd let down Elsa let it be for a moment, testing the waters around the stranger who was also her soon to be husband. All in all it hadn't been as bad as she was expecting and the fact that Anna and her parents had all given their approval, she had nothing to lose by at least giving Hans the slightest bit of trust; still reserving a great deal of it.

"So tomorrow, you're taking me home?" she asked with those big sparkling blue eyes that made his heart beat double-time.

"Yes."

"In your car?"

"Yes."

"What kind of car do you drive?" A deeper question than Hans might have guessed. Cars said a lot about people and Hans struck her as a sports car kind of guy. Something flashy. Though she could be wrong and maybe he was an electric sort of guy who liked to embrace his green side. One could only hope. Hans cleared his throat nervously before he answered, now feeling like this was some sort of test. "Maserati Granturismo," a tinge of pride in his answer. The wrong answer according to Elsa. Although Hans' family was plenty wealthy and entirely deserving of such an expensive car, there was just something about the combination of that car with Hans that rubbed her the wrong way. None the less, she was willing to let it slide until she saw their house.

* * *

><p>Discharge day had finally come and Elsa's parents were there to help her pack and see her off as Hans loaded her into his car and headed to their home on the west side of the city. Hans drove like he had a newborn in the back seat, making sure he stayed off the freeway and under the speed limit for the sake of his precious cargo who was busy trying to keep her hair from flying about in the wind. Finally Hans picked up on it and put the top up, confirming the exact reason why Elsa hated convertibles.<p>

A half hour later they made their way into the Santa Monica canyon and pulled up to the oddest looking home she'd ever seen.

"Wait, this is where we live?" she asked, brows furrowing as she looked over the pretentious modern mansion.

"Um...yes?" Hans replied, confused to what the problem was.

"We live in a cube?"

"It's not a _cube_. This house was designed by Ai Weiwei."

"Who's that?" she snapped backed. At least they acted like a married couple. "Look, it doesn't matter. It's a cube. I live in a cube," she groaned to herself and slumped back into the stiff leather seat.

"You loved this house when you moved in. You said it was innovative and iconic."

"When _I_ moved in? We didn't buy this place together?"

"No. When we were dating you lived in an apartment so _naturally_, you moved into my place."

Elsa didn't reply and just let her eyes drift to look back out the window as Hans pulled the car into the smaller cube off to the side of the house, better known as the garage.

Upon entering the home, Elsa was dismayed to find it too was uncomfortably sleek and linear. The color palette in every room was cool and uninviting. The furniture and decor were annoyingly perfect and the whole house looked like a museum of contemporary living. There wasn't much about the place that was warm or even looked like something Elsa would ever live in. She could appreciate the use of lines and symmetry but leaned more towards a soft elegant style, more feminine than the shrine to metrosexual masculinity that Hans lived in.

Hans gave Elsa plenty of time to get settled and wander around the house, her favorite part being the view of the ocean. It was especially nice now that the sun was setting and it helped distract her from the oddity of the cubic home.

Eventually she felt comfortable enough to sit down and talk with Hans for a while, figuring the only way to get to know him better was to talk things out. She'd roamed the halls for over a half an hour and it hadn't triggered anything.

"This is so strange because I know of you but I don't _know_ you. I'm sure our parents must be ecstatic that we...got together," Elsa began as she settled herself next to Hans on the minimalistic couch that ended up being much more comfortable than it looked initially. She didn't know where to put her hands or how close to sit. It was like her life had turned into a never-ending blind date.

"Yeah, you could say that," Hans laughed uncomfortably, feeling like they were on a first date all over again. Their actual first date had gone much more smoothly that the bumpy road they found themselves on now.

"And we never met before because if I'm not mistaken you went to boarding school in London?" Elsa continued.

"Yes I did. And then I went to college on the east coast and wasn't home that much." A look of relief washed over both of them as the conversation started to flow more naturally.

"Then how did we meet?" Even though Elsa couldn't remember him or how they met, and God how that hurt, he found himself smiling as he took her hands and smoothed his thumbs over the ridges of her tiny knuckles ever so gently.

Elsa's mouthed dropped into an 'o' as the touch was unexpected, not entirely unwelcome but he clearly felt something for her that she didn't feel in return, understandably.

"It was Christmas, two years ago, and my family has a big party every year at their home in Bel Air."

"I remember that. We've gone almost every year but I've never seen you there." Just hearing her say she remembered something that pertained to him made him beam.

"Right. Well with twelve older brothers no one really ever seemed to notice whether I came home for the holidays or not so I usually stayed at school. But this particular year I had just moved back to LA to work at my father's company so naturally I went to the party. It's funny because I also knew of you but had never met you...and when I did I didn't know you were Alex's daughter." He stopped to smile at her but Elsa seemed more interested in him continuing the story. "Anyhow, I was trying to make my way to the bar when I bumped into you and made you spill egg nog on your dress. It's so classic it almost makes me cringe but I helped you get cleaned off in the kitchen. And when I looked at you...my heart stopped. You were the most beautiful woman I ever met. And when you smiled, I knew I had to have you. We talked the rest of the party and I swear I fell in love with you that night."

"I'm sorry, _that_ night? You just met me?" she remarked incredulously.

"There is such a thing as love at first sight and at the time it was mutual."

Hans' face was all smiles and puppy dog eyes but Elsa's was still twisted in doubt. Even so, he loved the way her brows were knitting together so fervently. She was unbreakably adorable to him sometimes.

"I fell in love with you in one night?" her lips curling in disbelief.

"Well, we kissed. We were dancing just as the party was dying down and shared the best kiss I've ever had to _Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas_." It all sounded rather romantic but it was like she was hovering above a version of herself begging to know how this man had managed to sweep her off her feet in record time, especially since she wasn't really getting anything from him now that indicated he was capable of such a feat.

"And how did you propose?" she asked.

Hans smiled and a happy little sigh echoed within his chest as he thought back. "I took you to your favorite restaurant, _The Sunset _in Malibu and asked you to marry me out on the terrace overlooking the ocean just as the sun was setting."

So apparently _The Sunset_ was still her favorite restaurant and the idea of getting proposed to there didn't sound half bad. Despite the lack of connection she was feeling towards him, every bit of information she was getting from everyone else painted a picture of a perfectly happy couple. Even if they were describing an Elsa she couldn't relate to, it was a part of her and that Elsa was or had been crazy in love with this man.

"I have to ask you something."

"Anything," he replied, as if he were swearing an oath.

"Do we..." her hands floundered to help her find the words her mouth was having a hard time forming.

"...have sex?"

A blush bloomed across Hans' chiseled cheekbones and his smile turned a bit coy. "We're engaged and I told you we kissed after just meeting. What do you think?" brows raising to her in conformation.

"A lot or...?"

"I don't know. I guess a normal amount. Regularly? Why?" he questioned with a chuckle. Elsa had never really explicitly talked about their sex life so this was somewhat new to him as well.

"I'm just trying to understand this arrangement. I feel like I'm learning about an Elsa I don't know. I mean, I don't mean to be rude but I can't imagine myself falling in love like that after only a few hours. That's crazy."

"Love is crazy baby." She just about gagged on his words.

"Don't call me that. Just until this...resolves itself. I don't know," throwing up her hands in frustration as Hans rubbed the side of her arm with that drawn on smile he wore so often.

"I understand. I said I'd give you time and I will."

* * *

><p>Hans was half asleep when he stretched out his muscular arms and instinctively went to reach for Elsa. Even in sleep it was hard to remember she'd lost her memory of him. But as his hands grasped into the empty space where she normally was he started to realize she wasn't there at all.<p>

Frantically sling shoting himself up, Hans ripped back the covers to find Elsa's side of the bed completely empty and the blonde was nowhere in sight.

_Shit!_

Elsa running around in a strange house in a strange neighborhood with no memory of how to get back was not what they needed right now. Especially since he'd assured everyone he was more than capable of taking care of her on his own.

_Fuck!_

In nothing but his boxers, Hans didn't even bother with a robe and ran from room to room yelling for Elsa. He switched on every light and looked in every room but there was no Elsa, until he took a second glance in the study and found her curled up in a plush leather chair. Her knees were folded into her chest and her face was hidden behind a sheet of white-gold hair.

His heart removed itself from his throat and slid back down into chest. The closer he got the louder Elsa's tiny cries became and he felt so bad as she rocked herself. She'd been downstairs in the dark all by herself crying in a little ball of sadness.

"Elsa? Honey, what's wrong? What are you doing down here all by yourself?" His voice was soft and caring as he crouched down in front of the chair, resting his hands on her icy cold feet. He wanted to hold her but wasn't sure if she'd let him. And at a time when she was already crying he didn't want to push her more.

"Sweetheart? Talk to me. It's okay." His fingers brushed through her hair and moved it aside so that he could see her face, red and sticky with hot salty tears.

"I want to go home," she cried, tears racing down her cheeks.

It was probably the saddest thing she could have said and his heart actually ached to hear to the pain in her voice.

"I want go home but I can't. It doesn't exist."

"I'm sorry. Please let me hold you. Just to comfort you."

He held out his arms but she didn't move except to turn her head to face her knees, crying harder as she mourned the loss of a life she couldn't return to.

Unable to take it any more Hans scooped her up and carried her back to bed, placing kisses on her head that she didn't want but was too devastated to fight against. Hans was right. She needed someone to hold her, to comfort her and he was the only one she had right then.

Safe and sound back in bed Hans held his frail fiancé in his arms as her cries mellowed.

"Can I tell you a story?" he murmured softly.

She didn't answer but he carried on anyhow.

"When I lived at home with my brothers they were terrible to me. Teased me. Ignored me. I was the youngest and had 12 older tyrants who were all bigger than me. I thought I'd found the answer when I convinced my parents to send me to boarding school but it was so far away from everything I knew. An entirely different country. And even though my brothers weren't around to make me the butt of their jokes, the other kids at school were just as cruel. I cried myself to sleep so many nights, wanting to go home but not really knowing where that was. Home didn't feel like home and neither did school. I can't fix what's happened. But I can only imagine how you feel. And I'll wait. I'll wait forever if I have to. But just know that everything will be okay. Anna said to give it time. We just need more time." He rested his cheek against her pillowy soft head and ran his hand through the endless locks of gold that trickled down the arch of her spine.

"What if it never comes back? What if I can't love you like you love me?" her chest heaving and shuttering as more tears came. This homecoming was more difficult than either of them expected.

"Honey you haven't even had your first home visit. Just let Anna work her magic a little before we skip to worse case scenario." He tightened his embrace and at last she relaxed into it. "Take it one day at a time. One hour at a time if you need to. Right now your body needs rest. We can talk all about this in the morning and Anna will be here to help soon."

* * *

><p>Morning came and the sun was just beginning to shine through the sheer white curtains of Hans and Elsa's bedroom, gently waking the blonde who was sleeping as close to the edge of the bed as possible. Her eyes fluttered opened and she jumped in shock when she didn't recognize where she was until she spotted a note next to the nightstand.<p>

_You're at home with Hans, your fiancé._

_Oh, that's right._

She had laughed at the idea when Hans suggested leaving a reminder on her nightstand but apparently she needed it. Once she did, everything from the day before came rushing back and her racing heart started to calm itself.

Still half asleep Hans groaned and stretched as his hand wrapped around Elsa's waist, pulling her to him in one swift motion. He smothered her with his arms until she felt like she was drowning in limbs and when his hips pressed into her backside she decided that was enough and broke his hold on her.

"Hans! Wake up," she demanded, sitting up at full attention.

"Yeah baby," he mumbled sleepily.

"I'm serious. Wake up." A smack to the head with her pillow did the trick and Hans sat up with a start.

"I'm awake what's wrong," his face springing to life as his eyes focused on the frazzled woman in front of him, looking particularly angry.

"Don't grab me like that," she snapped.

"Like what?" He sounded genuine enough but that didn't excuse him.

"You have to remember that I don't remember this relationship. I don't know how we did things before but you can't treat me like the person you knew. You've been in this relationship for two years and I've been in it for a matter of days. Got it?"

"I'm sorry. It was a force of habit. I'll give you more space just please don't be so angry at me simply because I love you. If anything it just goes to show how happy I am to have you home. I need time to adjust too."

There was a hint of sadness behind his eyes she just couldn't ignore.

"You're right I didn't really think about it from your perspective. I'm sorry."

"Let me do something simple for you. You lay back down and I'll go and get your meds and something to eat. You usually like toast but I'm afraid to even ask if you still do."

"Toast sounds great."

"With jelly?"

"Please."

"At least something's still the same with you."

She couldn't blame the man for trying and he did have a sweet quality to him. He just always seemed to be trying so hard. The sound of Hans' feet plodding down the stairs could be heard off in the distance as she fell back against the bed, platinum hair flying out in every direction as she looked around the room. Nothing in the house really resembled her taste and she wondered how long they'd even lived together.

Her eyes drifted over to the clock. 8:17 AM. Her heart kickstarted that oozing warmth again as she counted the hours until Anna came for her first home visit. A friendly face and someone who understood what she was going through was exactly what the doctor ordered after her first night home with Hans.

Just as her mind settled and started to drift back to sleep, Hans came back in with a bed tray filled with meds and a small breakfast for her.

"Okay we've got pain meds, antibiotics, anti nausea, toast with jelly, and orange juice. You still like orange juice right?"

"Yes, thank you."

Before she could even reach for the first bottle of pills, Hans popped the top off and shook out one large painkiller and proceeded to dispense the rest of the meds into the giant palm of his hand.

"Here," he said gently, letting the pills trickle into her tiny palm as he handed her the glass of juice. Their eyes met for a moment, blue against green, like he was searching for something she knew she couldn't give him and a tinge of guilt pricked at her chest.

"Thank you," she replied, barely above a whisper. The way he looked at her with such devotion was almost unsettling.

"Have any plans for today? Something you'd like to do? My father gave me all the time I need off from work and I'd love to take you somewhere or do something with you. We could just stay here too. Even if you don't talk to me I'd just like to be near you," he said as he inched closer to her.

"That's nice of you to offer but I think Anna is coming at eleven and my mom said she would be coming by after that."

"Perhaps dinner then? You usually make dinner but I make a mean roast if I do say so myself."

"Dinner is fine. I should really be getting ready." Elsa swung her legs off the side of the bed and rushed away as quick as she could without appearing rude until she realized she had no idea where she was going.

"I'm sorry. Where's the bathroom again?"

Hans grinned at the adorable little lost girl in front of him. It was nice to be needed for once.

"Come here. I'll show you everything."

As much as she didn't want to, she needed to rely on Hans for some things and he was kind enough to not only show her the way to the bathroom and how everything worked but he also helped her locate her toiletries in the vanity area, even assisted her in picking out some clothes for the day.

Standing in front of a full length mirror in a pair of jeans and a nice blouse, Elsa admired the way her body had morphed into a woman's and looked less like the gangly post-teenage body she last remembered herself having. Everything she tried on was just a tad too big but Hans assured her it was because she'd lost some weight from being in the hospital. Her eyes ran over the curves of her hips, noticing how curvy and ample they'd become. A girly smile played across her lips until she caught Hans leering at her in the reflection of the mirror.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" turning to face him.

"I lost something in this accident too you know. I can't touch. I can't look. I can't talk to you like we did. I'm just so glad you're alive and you look so happy and beautiful. I'm sorry for even noticing." With that he walked out of the room, leaving her feeling like she done something wrong; a tug of war between her past and his present that clashed like oil and water.

* * *

><p>At eleven the doorbell rang and Elsa was already grinning ear to ear by the time she scurried downstairs to answer the door for Anna. There was something so magnetic about the redhdad and Elsa could already feel the pull towards Anna, growing stronger with each step closer<p>

"Good morning!" Anna bubbled in her usual chipper voice. Elsa could have sworn the sound was more beautiful than a morning blue bird. She looked even better away from the hospital, bathed in the glow of the bright California sun. It made her hair shine like polished copper and the rosy hue on her cheeks even more apparent, her mere presence making Elsa's tension melt away with every bat of Anna's lashes.

"Good morning. Please, come in," opening the door a little wider as she made way for Anna.

"This place is...nice."

"_Modern_. It's modern. You don't have to be nice about it. It was the first thing that crossed my mind when I saw it."

"It just doesn't seem like your style I guess. But it's still very nice."

"I'd give you a tour but I'm still learning my way around myself."

"That's okay. We have a lot to get through today anyhow. Is there a place we could work?"

"Hans set us up a place in the den...which is...this way I believe. I don't know for sure but come...we'll find it together." Elsa let out a giggle as she looped her arm around Anna's and lead her through a series of rooms until they reached a small table and chairs in the den just like Elsa described except there was a plate of cookies for both of them.

"Ooh cookies! You really know how to make your guests feel welcome."

"Oh, that must have been Hans," waving her hand dismissively. "He's just... trying too hard."

Whatever his motivation, Anna set her bags down next to table and helped herself to the slightly overdone chocolate chip cookies.

"He's your fiancé and you almost died in a car accident. Of course he's trying hard. It's normal for people to go through this phase where they're so grateful to have their loved one alive that they do these sort of grand gestures," Anna said as she gulped down her cookie.

"It's that and..."

"And what?"

"The way he looks at me. I get that we were romantic but I obviously don't feel the same and he doesn't understand that."

"You've been home for one day and you must feel really creeped out by all of this."

"Yes!"

"Scared?"

"Yes!" Elsa replied even louder.

"All normal. Though I know that doesn't make you feel better."

"This makes me feel better." Elsa gestured between them and Anna blushed at the compliment. "It's familiar."

A smile pulled across Anna's face and she could almost feel the warmth radiating off of Elsa. She was so easy to be around and Anna knew she'd done a good thing by starting her home visits off with Elsa first.

"Well first let me get a check of your vitals."

Anna knelt down to open her medical bag and pulled out a stethoscope to check Elsa's heart and lungs. In the hospital the other nurses had handled her check-ups but now that she had been discharged everything was left up to Anna.

"Okay, sit up nice and straight for me." Elsa did as she was told and watched as Anna breathed warmly against the diaphragm to lessen the chill and placed it gently against Elsa's chest, listening to the steady beat speed to a gallop.

"Your heart's beating a little fast. You feeling okay?" Anna asked, moving the chest piece a little lower.

"Mhmm." Elsa answered quietly, trying not to blowout Anna eardrums through the instrument pressed against her heaving chest.

"I'm just going to check your lungs now." Anna positioned herself behind Elsa and lifted up the hem of her blouse to slip the stethoscope underneath the delicate fabric, the zing of cool metal sending a shiver down Elsa's spine; hair standing on end as she bit her lip and tried to swallow away the butterflies fluttering in her chest.

"Sorry. It's a little cold sometimes," Anna said through a laugh. The chest piece may have been cold but Elsa was hot, or the room was hot. She wasn't quite sure but it was suddenly stifling as Elsa loosened the collar of her blouse from around her flushing neck.

"It's okay. I don't mind," Elsa replied.

"Take a deep breath." It wasn't until Anna asked that Elsa realized she'd been breathing shallowly and couldn't even get a good breath the first time she tried. Something about having Anna this close to her was making her extremely aware of every breath, every beat of her heart, like she was trying to impress Anna even with her vitals.

She tried again and this time took such a deep breath that she felt it tickle just behind her belly button, eyes glancing down at the way her full chest was breaching the limits of the blouse's buttons; exposing the tiniest glimpse of smooth white skin between them.

"Sounds good. Let me just take a look at your stitches."

Gently filing back the reams of golden blonde hair, Anna found the small row of stitches where Elsa's hair had been shaved around the area.

"You're lucky to have such long thick hair. You can't even tell you hit your head or have stitches," combing back a few more strands as she inspected the healing wound.

"It looks good. Are you feeling any pain?"

"Not at the moment but I had a pretty big Percocet earlier." Her mind completely ignored the memory of _who_ had brought her those pills that morning. Hans seemed to be a far and distant thought at the moment as her eyes followed the dusting of freckles along Anna's nose and cheeks, a feature that made her even more irresistibly charming.

"It may start to itch as it heals but just let me know if it does." Anna flipped Elsa's hair back into place and combed her nails along the side to return it to its previous perfection. Cool trimmed nails drifted across her sensitive scalp, sending chills racing out through every nerve ending in her body.

The check-up continued with a look into Elsa's big sapphire eyes, the color of which Anna still couldn't get over. So bright and majestic like a clear blue winter's sky. Her color was better, lips and cheeks now a healthy blush pink. The bruises on her arms were fading into ghostly gray remnants of a near tragedy. The cuts on her face were also still healing but overall Elsa looked amazingly well.

"So for today, I wanted to take a break from bombarding you with information from the missing period of your timeline and get a better idea of how your mind stores memory by doing a few activities. Sound good?"

"Sounds good."

Anna started with a mental status exam that checked Elsa's orientation to her world, still thinking it was five years ago but also knowing that wasn't true. After assessing her personality, it was clear that Elsa was almost thinking more like a twenty year old when it came to maturity, not unusual for someone in her position. The rest of the time was spent having Elsa perform a bunch of memory tasks where Anna showed her different objects or told her a short story and then had Elsa repeat it back to her.

"So can you remember the three objects I showed you earlier?" Anna asked a smiling Elsa. The blonde was thoroughly enjoying their time together. Anna always had the best expressions and the cutest reactions when Elsa remembered something correctly and she was now trying her hardest just to hear that bubbly giggle Elsa just couldn't get enough of.

"Pencil, watch, and a 1989 penny," back straight as an arrow as she proudly recalled the items, waiting for those freckles to reach for the heavens with Anna's smile.

"Correct," freckles rising on cue as a smile played across Elsa's lips. "And how did you remember that?" Anna shifted her attention back to her notes, pen writing furiously as Elsa's kept her gaze on Anna. _Always_ on Anna.

"I just... saw the picture in my head," Elsa replied.

"So you're more of a photographic person," writing the observation down in her notes as Elsa watched her delicate hands make sweeping loops and elegant lines in her writing.

"Tomorrow I'd like to start trying to retrieve some of your lost memories by picking up where you currently are by going out to UCLA and letting you show me what a day in the life of Elsa looks like. Maybe we might be able to jog your memory enough to make some new connections. No promises though," Anna said with a smirk.

A whole day with Anna and away from Hans. Elsa could hardly contain her excitement but she did, staying cool and calm as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"That would be so great. I feel like I've been cut off from my life and forced into this new one. I'm craving something familiar?"

"I know. Elsa, what you're going through isn't easy. And I won't sugarcoat it and tell you everything is going to work out just fine. The truth is, I don't know what time has in store for you. But I promise to be right here for you through this whole process," resting a hand on top of Elsa's and neither one could deny the little special something that resonated between them. These little silences kept cropping up and it was funny how neither felt the urge to interrupt it, just letting it be as this new excitement sizzled and swelled within their being.

"Are you always this sweet with your patients?" deep cobalt eyes meeting Anna's majestic topaz as they shared a warm smile, fingers tingling the longer their hands stayed in contact.

"To tell you the truth, my last patient was a 54 year old man and the one before him was a 12 year old middle schooler. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's refreshing to have a patient closer to my age. But to answer your question, yes. I am sweet to all my patients."

Elsa nodded as her eyes fell to the hands graceful clasped in her lap, smiling to herself.

"I can see that."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to everyone who's been showing this story some love. Next week I'll be on vacation so there won't be an update BUT I will make up for it with an entire chapter of just Elsa and Anna. Things just get more interesting from here on out. Reminder that this is a drama fic, though were pretty far out from that.<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_Finally back from vacation! As promised, Elsa and Anna fluff (just a little Hans at the beginning)._

* * *

><p>Anna wasn't coming to pick Elsa up until ten but she was already dressed and ready by eight before Hans ever even got up. It was nice to be able to shower and pick out her outfit in the luxury of privacy without his possessive green eyes watching her every move. Besides, she wanted to wear something a little more <em>her<em> and less like the other version of Elsa Hans expected her to be and didn't want to feel like she needed his approval to wear something slightly more revealing around Anna.

She crept down stairs, hand sliding smoothly down the banister, and found her way around the kitchen; locating some eggs to scramble and make herself some breakfast. It was lonely eating in the giant cold slab of a house by herself but it was light years better than having to awkwardly eat with Hans and struggle to keep a conversation going. She was still having a hard time understanding why it was so difficult for her to warm up to him. He seemed nice enough but their personalities clashed terribly and they always seemed to be out of synch. He was in love with a part of her that simply didn't exist anymore.

About an hour later she could hear Hans come thumping downstairs but for once he gave her some space and headed straight to his office to lose himself in work instead of force her to endure his presence at the peculiarly shaped breakfast table. Like everything else in the house, the table was an odd geometric shape that made a parallelogram look insanely boring.

Just before ten Elsa gathered her things and went to find Hans in his office, head hung low and looking rather disheveled as he dolefully sorted through some mail.

She felt a little apprehensive approaching him in such a capricious state but a shimmering dress hanging off the back of a closet door caught her attention and drew her in.

"Hi," she murmured quietly, hands folded elegantly in front her.

"Morning. You're off to campus with Anna soon aren't you?" letting his eyes veer away from the letters in his hands and flashed her a meager smile.

"Yeah. She should be here any minute." Elsa glanced over shoulder in the direction of the front door like Anna was about to ring the bell at a moment's notice, eyes drawing back to the glittering gown wrapped in a clear garment bag.

"Is that..." she started, pointing to the dress hanging high and shining brighter than the North Star.

Hans swept the strands of auburn hair dangling in front of his eyes over the crown of his head and looked over to the closet.

"Yeah. It is." Hans' smile curled wider as he glanced up at the elegant beaded wedding dress that now brought a dull ache to heart. His eyes flicked closed for a second and he could hear Elsa's bubbly laughter playing in his mind as remembered what it once felt like to dream about their wedding together.

"It's beautiful. May I ask why you keep it in here?" Pulled from his revere, Hans rubbed his eyes rather aggressively and turned his head to face the entirely different woman before him.

"They delivered it the other day and I didn't know where else to put it. Now that it's in here it kind of gives me hope. Hope that one day I'll be able to see you in it, like we planned." His eyes crossed to a framed photo of them on his desk, an engagement shot of Hans kissing the sparkling diamond on Elsa's hand; eyes locked on eachother in a way that felt like a knife in his heart as he stared at their happy faces.

Three days home and already they'd established an emotional merry-go-round of Hans feeling sad and Elsa feeling guilty. It put her in the most uncomfortable position of having to always apologize for something she had no control over, reminding her what an utter disappointment she was in her current condition.

"I'm sorry about all of this. You're obviously crushed by everything and I'm no help." Surrounded by mementos from their past, Elsa didn't know where to look and set her gaze on her hands as she began to nervously wring them together in an attempt to self comfort.

"Well, maybe Anna will be able to make some progress today. One can only hope. Either way, have a good time. Your mom is coming by to make dinner when you get back." He didn't even attempt to look up at her when he spoke and although she wasn't pining after his affection, the action made her feel shunned none the less.

"Have a good rest of your day," she said softly, receiving no response from Hans who was already clicking through email on his laptop.

The slow shuffling of her feet as she walked down the hall turned into a sprint when she finally heard the doorbell ring, eyes blowing wide with excitement as she ran down the stairs at an olympic pace.

"Good morning! You ready for our little field trip today?" Anna greeted merrily as she lifted her white rimmed sunglasses and rested them at the base of her feathery russet bangs. It had only been 24 hours since Elsa saw her last but each time she did she felt this giant wave of relief wash over her, exalting her to a place where she felt accepted and at peace with herself.

"Very much. You look _nice_. I mean it's different than what you normally wear." She tried not to overly stare at Anna's tight petal pushers and sleeveless casual blouse but the way the cute lines of her svelte figure stood out even more was making Elsa's heart sputter into erratic palpitations. Perhaps Anna could whip out her stethoscope and check that for her.

"It's supposed to be pretty hot so I had to pull out something to wear from the summer side of my closet," Anna replied with a coy rise from one of her freckled shoulders that now made Elsa felt like she may genuinely have a heart attack. "Ready when you are."

"Great, let's go," Elsa said and quickly shut the door behind her. She couldn't get away from the deplorable house fast enough and practically skipped to Anna's car.

"Prius. Cute," blonde brows rising as her eyes fell onto the light green hybrid in the driveway. She expected nothing less from Anna and was thankful the garage was closed and hiding Hans' lavish trophies of manhood she greatly disapproved of.

"I do a lot of driving for work so I wanted something that had good gas mileage. That and it kind of feels like a spaceship when driving it." They plopped themselves into the car and began to head towards the freeway, conversation flowing effortlessly between them like a well-timed pendulum. "What kind of car did you drive? Or has anyone told you that yet?"

Elsa let out a disquieting sigh, eyes shifting down to toy with the ring on her finger as her protruding bottom lip quivered just the slightest bit. "No one will tell me anything. They won't even let me see the accident photos for fear it'll give me PTSD or something." The gorgeous view of the ocean just behind Elsa wasn't enough to distract Anna from the somber look draped across the blonde's features. "They're all walking on eggshells around me. I have someone around me most of the time but I'm still so lonely. They want me to be who I was... before."

"I'm sorry. That must be so uncomfortable," Anna replied with the softest tone of remorse. A voice so gentle Elsa could feel it comforting her in its warmth.

"Well, you can't get PTSD from an event you don't remember but besides that I think they need a little more time to adjust. In the mean time, you just be you. Whoever that is right now, just be that Elsa. Not the Elsa they want you to be, okay?"

"How come my own family can't say things like that?"

"Because they've been traumatized by this too. They want things back to normal because that means everything's okay. Remember, I'm always here for you. I'm not just here to take your temperature and look at your scar. And I don't know what you were like before so I don't expect you to be anyone other than you. And you're probably still discovering who that is. I mean you're basically a 20-year-old that woke up in a 25-year-old's body. That's a big adjustment mentally, emotionally, and even physically I can imagine. Maybe today will help and maybe it won't. It's not going to stop me from helping you have a life you can enjoy and celebrate in. You survived this accident physically...and now you have to emotionally."

Elsa's lips pressed into a frown but it was a happy frown, one that showed Anna how greatly her words had affected her.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." The urge to reach out and touch Anna's hand resting near the shifter was incredibly strong but Elsa resisted. Just letting herself imagine it instead because she so longed to feel physical comfort that was invited instead of forced upon her.

"You'd probably have someone else from neuro instead," Anna jested with a playful smirk.

"But they wouldn't be you."

* * *

><p>The swift little car tackled the curves of Sunset Blvd., making its way to the serene oasis of campus and into the parking garage.<p>

Once outside it was like Elsa was being pulled into a tractor beam and back to the mothership as she hurried towards UCLA's all too familiar grounds. Anna quickened her pace to keep up and took in the sight of the most joyous Elsa she'd seen thus far during their time together.

Aside from Elsa's ivory skin that looked like it had spent its whole life refusing to ever take on a tan, she embodied the spirit of a typical California girl as her hair bounced in time to her hip swaying strides.

If Anna wasn't mistaken this was one of the few times she found herself looking forward to an outing with a patient this much. She'd been to UCLA countless times for lectures and whatnot but seeing things through a patient's eyes was always extra special. This was Elsa's territory and Anna could already tell from the beaming smile and sparkling look of childlike wonder in Elsa's eyes that it had been something special to her as well. Bringing patients back to their point of reference was usually an enjoyable experience but Anna got the feeling a part of her was looking forward to seeing Elsa in whole new environment in addition to hopefully jogging her memory. She was already seeing her in a whole new wardrobe, light blue sundress flowing around her hourglass figure with straps thin enough to show off Elsa's shapely shoulders.

The blonde's growing excitement was splashed all over her radiant features as they neared the bookstore up ahead and Anna didn't bother to notice that she hadn't taken her eyes off Elsa for even a second when she caught her foot on the edge of a curb and tripped, arms circling wildly as she stumbled onto the sidewalk like a newborn deer.

"You okay?" Elsa worried as she wrapped her hands around Anna's willowy arms and helped her steady herself.

"I'm fine. I'm not going to lie but you looked so excited I wasn't even watching where I was going." Anna's face was flushing strawberry red with embarrassment at this point but Elsa's nonjudgmental eyes made her forget all about her moment of clumsiness. Why that was making her heart do a little fluttering thing like she swallowed a kaleidoscope of butterflies wasn't exactly clear but the feeling was being rivaled by the touch of Elsa's angel soft fingers on her bare skin. Fingers that were lingering just a bit too perhaps and Elsa gently pulled them away and nervously cleared her throat before that charming guise returned to her face.

"The bookstore is this way," she uttered through a nervous laugh and felt the warmth on her cheeks increase to something just shy of a burn.

The morning began with a quick tour of the bookstore and Anna let Elsa explain her semesterly ritual of buying her books and school supplies in a place that was decorated in nothing but blue and gold, school spirit on full display in every corner of the store. Anna giggled to herself when Elsa mentioned how she could never resist buying Toblerone chocolate at the register and usually bought several at a time, her inner chocolatier showing itself already.

Next Elsa took Anna through her most recent schedule of classes, trotting from lecture hall to lecture hall as they giggled and made small talk along the way. Elsa was the easiest patient to carry on a conversation with and at times Anna felt like she was talking to a friend instead. They were finding that they had a lot in common but it was their idiosyncrasies that were most endearing.

"How are you feeling memory wise? Anything ringing a bell?" Anna asked as they strolled past Royce Hall and watched students lounge around the grass, dodging the occasional wild toss of a frisbee along the way.

The smile peeking out from the corner of Elsa's mouth flatlined as she remembered the original purpose of their outing that day, to get her memory back.

"Nothing so far. I can't remember anything past fall semester and I'm not even clear what exactly my last memory is. It's all a big blur."

"Totally normal. Show me something else besides classes. Is there a special place on campus you like to go?"

A grin stretched across Elsa's face as she enthusiastically nodded her head in reply.

"The sculpture garden!"

* * *

><p>The sun was a gorgeous bright yellow as it filtered through the blossoming purple orchid trees along the winding path of the Murphy Sculpture Garden. Drenched in patches of thick shade the garden was home to more than 70 different sculptures and Elsa had become intimately familiar with each and every one when she was a student.<p>

"This is my favorite place on the entire campus." Elsa's smile was glowing brighter than the blazing sun, eyes lovingly admiring every breathtaking work of art they passed.

"I can see why. This is _really_ pretty. And relaxing. I can't believe I've never been here before." Anna breathed in a huge breath of air and enjoyed the fresh scent of spring that tickled her nose.

"Ever?"

"No. I went to Loma Linda."

_Loma Linda School of Nursing_.

Elsa mentally added the tidbit to her growing list of things she was learning about Anna.

"Which one is your favorite?"

"It depends on the day." Elsa lead them over to a large bronze sculpture of a rotund African woman with a baby on her hip, standing tall and proud with her hand on the other hip and her chin nobly pointed high to the sky. "This one for example helps give me confidence, like before a test or if I'm just having a bad day."

"Why's that?" Anna inquired.

"Because...look at her. She _is_ confidence. She doesn't care what she looks like or what anyone else thinks, she knows she's amazing. And she's had a baby, she's created life. That makes her powerful in a way. The look on her face is all you need on a bad day." Anna gave up on trying to remember exactly everything Elsa said and just enjoyed the moment. It was amazing how a wealthy beautiful blonde could be so emotionally deep. Elsa rivaled the stereotypical blonde with her intellect and poignant insight and Anna delighted in knowing there was so much more to the frightened patient she'd meet just a week ago.

"This one I just love because there's so many pieces." Anna cocked her head at the giant ball made up of hundreds of curved iron rods. It fascinated her what was considered art sometimes but she knew Elsa would be able to make her appreciate it in no time flat.

"Tell me more," Anna encouraged with a tempting smile.

Elsa bit her bottom lip and thought for a moment, wheels turning as she crafted a response that encompassed her passion for the odd-looking sculpture.

"I like that all the small pieces, as disorganized as they are, make up one solid sphere of perfection. It's chaotic and peaceful at the same time."

"I'm learning so much about you just from this." It was painful not to share with Elsa how incredibly ironic it had been that her favorite place on campus was a sculpture garden when the woman would go on to become one herself, using chocolate and sugar as her medium. Spoiling little unconscious ironies like that tended to interfere with patients making their own links to lost memories so Anna just smiled coyly as she watched Elsa gush about her love of art.

While they both stood in the midday sun admiring the colossal mass of twisted iron, Elsa's eyes drifted from the lines of the sculpture to the lines of Anna's clavicle that were peeking out from her blouse; peachy smooth skin that poured into a succulent dip at the bottom of her bobbing throat. She looked so beautiful in her more casual clothes and try as she might Elsa couldn't stop latching her gaze onto Anna no matter how hard she tried. In fact the more she tried to keep her eyes from straying the harder it was not look at Anna so she attempted to lose herself in the conversation and mentally swatted away the curious warmth spreading through her extremities at an unnerving pace.

"B-Beside the sculptures, it's a great place to escape the stress of classes. Sometimes I layout under the trees and listen to the water in the fountain. Or I'll just get my thoughts together before an exam or presentation." Elsa had been swept away to a world all her own but quickly returned to reality when she heard a grumbling noise coming from Anna.

"Is that your stomach?" Elsa asked as her gesturing hands dropped to better concentrate on the once again flushing redhead. Which only made her adorable freckles stand out even more and Elsa returned her bottom lip to rest between her teeth.

"Yes," Anna admitted bashfully and circled her hand over her groaning stomach.

Elsa's head whipped around and she tried to think of the nearest place to get some lunch, not realizing it was already well past noon. Time always seemed to pass much too quickly during their appointments.

"We can get something to eat in the village," Elsa suggested and pointed her finger towards the utopia of restaurants just down the road.

"Despite that sound, I don't think I'm hungry enough for a whole meal."

Bright blue eyes rolled to the heavens as Elsa refused to let Anna go hungry and tried to think of a suitable option. A mischievous smirk crept across her face once she thought of the perfect place.

"What about something sweet?" she asked with a lick of her lips.

* * *

><p>It didn't take much persuading to get Anna to follow Elsa down into Westwood Village and up to a shop that had a small line out the door.<p>

"This is my favorite place to eat in the whole area."

Anna looked up and read the sign, "Diddy Reis."

"You'll love it. They have the best ice cream sandwiches ever."

"You don't look like the kind of person that eats a lot of ice cream," letting a skeptical eye glance up and down Elsa's tiny frame.

"I get that a lot and yet you couldn't be more wrong. You should know I have a _very_ big sweet tooth."

If only she knew she made her entire living off of chocolate. The sad irony.

After a short wait they finally entered the shop and Anna's mouth dropped when Elsa pulled her in front of an endless row of glass cases filled with the largest mouth-watering assortment of freshly baked cookies her gorgeous aquamarine eyes had ever seen. White chocolate macadamia, double chocolate, cinnamon sugar, peanut butter, oatmeal, M&M. The place housed every kind of cookie known to man and Anna tried to contain a squeal as her eyes feasted upon the delicious looking selection.

"So all you do is pick out two cookies, any kind. They don't have to be two of the same. And then just pick what kind of ice cream you want," Elsa explained as she walked Anna through the process.

"What are you getting?"

"Mint chocolate chip ice cream with double chocolate cookies. I get the same thing every time," Elsa said with a shrug and a light laugh.

"I'll get the same then. That sounds really good and it's a perfect day for it. So hot," fanning herself as the heat from the ovens was worse than the swelter outside.

Anna insisted on paying with her company card and Elsa waited with huge eyes for Anna to take her first bite.

"Oh my God, this is seriously the best cookie I've ever had. It's like my mouth is crying from happiness."

"See, what did I tell you?" Elsa smiled as she wiped a small crumb from her own lip.

"Show me some of where your other classes were," tilting her head back in the direction of campus.

"It's weird that you say _were_ when to me it still feels like I go here."

With their ice cream sandwiches in hand, they strolled back up onto campus and munched away, enjoying some light conversation on the way.

"I have to say, this is one of the more enjoyable outings I've ever been on with a patient. And the first I've ever had ice cream on."

"I'd like to think I'm good company. Can I ask something about you? I feel like you only get to ask me questions and it feels one-sided sometimes. I mean, I understand why, it's just… I can't help but be curious."

"You can ask me whatever you want. My life is an open book," taking another large bite from her quickly melting sandwich.

A million questions flew through Elsa's head but she went with one that seemed to appropriately skirt the line of professional and personal without seeming creepy. "What made you want to go into nursing?"

"I like helping people. It's rewarding and it never feels like work. My mom always told me to find what it was I loved and I would never feel like I worked a day in my life. I've been really lucky to find something I enjoy doing so much. And I get to meet interesting people."

"Like me," Elsa chirped confidently.

"Like you, of course."

"Do you...have a boyfriend?"

"No, I-I don't." Anna choked a little but recovered quickly.

"I didn't mean to get personal it's just in the hospital I overheard you talking to someone on the phone and you were really happy so I assumed it must be a special someone."

Anna let out a laugh and rolled her eyes. "A special someone yes but not a boyfriend. You must have heard me talking to my little brother, Olaf."

"That would explain the math and English homework," suddenly connecting the dots.

"Yes," Anna giggled.

"How old is he?"

"Thirteen."

"So that's… wait, how old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

"That's quite the age difference," hoping that wasn't a rude observation.

"He's adopted. My mom wanted more but never found the right person after my dad so...we adopted him." Wow. Anna really was an open book.

"That's really sweet."

They rounded a bank of trees and the conversation stalled for a moment as Anna took a break from her chewing.

"And about the boyfriend thing… um… I'm actually gay."

Elsa's face didn't show any signs of reaction and she just kept chewing on her cookie.

"So then next time I'll ask if you have a girlfriend," Elsa said with a warm smile.

"You're okay with that?"

"With you having a girlfriend?" cocking her head in confusion.

"No, with me being gay."

Elsa stopped and looked Anna dead in the eyes, seeing how uncomfortable she was about revealing her sexuality.

"Anna, this is Los Angeles. The whole town is practically gay. And you're on a college campus. It's fine." A hand rested on Anna's shoulder and she breathed deep sigh.

"Thank you."

"Your ice cream is melting," Elsa sing-songed and pointed to Anna's dripping sandwich.

"Not as bad as yours."

Elsa looked down to find a thin green trail of mint chocolate chip streaking down her arm without a napkin to be found.

"Hurry, get it!" Anna yelled.

The trail dripped closer to Elsa's elbow and in a panic she licked the entire length of her forearm, all the way from elbow to wrist with a deliciously flat tongue; finishing it off with what sounded like the wet smack of a kiss as she got the last of it.

_Oh, damn_, Anna thought to herself.

"Better?" Elsa asked with a lick of her lips, unknowingly teasing Anna into a stupor.

"Yeah." Anna squeaked, trying to ignore how unbelievably sexy that had just been. Never having ice cream with a patient before meant never having to watch a patient, including a rather attractive blonde, give themselves a tongue bath. For a second Anna the nurse flitted away and Anna the person let a genuine thought slip through. Had Elsa not been her patient and they'd met by chance out in regular life, she'd probably be drawn to the woman.

* * *

><p>After ditching their trash and cleaning themselves up in the restroom Elsa lead them to the 500 seat lecture hall where she'd had one of her business classes. It was also the last class she could remember being in.<p>

"This place is huge. You could watch a movie in here." Anna's voice echoed off the walls of the giant auditorium.

"I don't like the big lecture halls because it feels less intimate. I like to be able to make eye contact with my professors. I'm a bit of a teacher's pet," Elsa admitted with a mischievous smile, one that made the memory of that steadfast tongue come rushing back into Anna's mind like a fly that refused to shoo.

While she was busy mentally suppressing inappropriate thoughts about her patient Elsa's head had been enveloped in a fog, completely disorienting her so badly that she stumbled back against a row of seats.

"Elsa, what's wrong?!" rushing to her side as Elsa's world began to spin, breath rapidly picking up as she fought to even see clearly.

"Anna!"

"Hold my hands. It'll help ground you." Anna grabbed Elsa's hands and the blonde squeezed them tight, holding onto Anna like her anchor in a swirling sea of chaos. When her breathing started to slow Anna helped her into a chair and cupped a hand over her forehead to check for fever and possible delirium but Elsa wasn't the least bit warm.

"I failed," Elsa blurted, still gasping for air as her eyes focused on Anna.

"Failed what?"

"I failed a test."

"Just let it come. Let it play out. I'm right here."

"You're right. You _really_ were right." Elsa eased her grip on Anna's hand as she shook her head in astonishment.

"About what? Can you tell me back what just happened?" Anna had been through this enough times to recognize that Elsa was having some sort of flashback and she held her breath and waited to see how much, if anything, had been uncovered.

After a few more minutes in silence Elsa let the fog clear and the pieces fall into place while Anna looked on with concern.

"I _was_ a student here. I wanted to go into business because I wanted to work with my father. I tried. I tried for years but for one reason or another I just got more depressed each semester. He told me to change majors, dropout, go to Europe, whatever I wanted but I refused. Until I was here."

"Just take a deep breath. Sloooow down," Anna instructed and took a deep breath along with Elsa before she continued.

"I came to take a final at the end of fall semester. I studied really hard and I was determined to get a good grade because the class had been so difficult I wasn't doing well. I finished the test ahead of everyone else. I was so confident I got an A until I saw my final grade and had failed. I didn't understand so I asked my professor to see my exam and when he showed it to me half of the pages were blank. I'd been so nervous I didn't realize the exam pages were front and back, so I only got a 53 on it. There was nothing he could do because there was no way to prove I hadn't run out of time. And I was devastated. I cried. I cried the entire walk home. What's strange is at the same time I was so happy. I was ecstatic that some outside force had shown me this sign, that I clearly was going in the wrong direction. I talked to my dad and he asked me what it was I wanted to do most. If I could do anything, go anywhere what would I do. Where would I go?"

"And what did you say?"

"Culinary school."

The sweet feeling of optimism surged through Anna's veins, hoping this was the turning point she'd been waiting for.

"Elsa, do you remember meeting Kristoff?"

Her brows knitted together as Elsa searched her mind but shook her head when she came up empty.

"Can you remember what culinary school you went to?"

Elsa shook her head again.

"I think you just skipped about four months. This amazing." Anna was near breathless at the miraculousness of what had just transpired. Four months was huge. Anna was already brainstorming away about what this would mean for Elsa until she saw a few tears trickling down her cheeks. What Anna saw as amazing had actually been pretty frightening for Elsa.

"Amazing, but I think we should call it a day." Without hesitation Anna wiped the tears from Elsa's face and helped her to her feet. "Come on. I'll take you home."

* * *

><p>By the time they got back the sun was hovering just above the horizon of the Pacific Ocean but Anna only kept her eyes on the road and Elsa, who had her arms wrapped around her waist as she tried to process everything.<p>

"I'll walk you in and make sure someone's home with you." Anna unbuckled Elsa's belt and rounded the car to open the door for her.

"Hi! How did it go?" Iris chirped as soon as they walked through the door, wearing an apron covered in a smattering of flour; some of which was smudged up around her temple as well. It was nice to see someone so highbrow down to Earth and doing something normal like cooking dinner. Anna made a quick connection as to who Elsa probably got the chef gene from.

"It went well mama. Can you give us just a minute and then I can tell you all about it?" Elsa asked as she gave Iris a quick hug, trying to avoid getting flour on her dress.

"Yeah, sure. I made Chicken Parisian. Anna you're more than welcome to stay. Hans is working late so it would just be the three of us."

"Oh, thank you very much Iris but I have to get over to the other side of town."

Iris gave Anna a wave and as soon as she left Elsa threw her arms around Anna and squeezed her tight, resting her head on Anna's shoulder as the redhead willingly hugged her back.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure there's some kind of rule against hugging your patients but... I needed this day so bad. I've been so scared. Terrified that nothing was going to come back." Elsa pulled herself off of Anna and took a small step back as she collected herself. "I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you. I might actually be able to sleep tonight." Elsa sobbed and laughed at the same time, bringing a smile to Anna's face as her heart felt for the poor woman.

"You're welcome. You did most it yourself. I just facilitated everything." Anna should have been jumping for joy at the great work that happened that day, and she was on some level but she was also alarmed by the confusing swirl of emotions consuming her. As she stood in the entryway of the enormous home and looked at Elsa's smiling face, she couldn't see her the same way she had the first time they met; not as just a patient and it was sending a jolt of fear into her chest because this had never and should never happened to her before.

Anna slowly backed away towards the door and Elsa followed half a step behind looking rather troubled by Anna's strange change in mood.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Enjoy your Chicken Parmesan."

Elsa watched through the window as Anna got into to her car and drove off, suddenly realizing she wasn't going to sleep that night after all.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you everyone for all the amazing reviews! They're much appreciated XD. I'm pleasantly surprised to see such an interest in this story and just know that there's sooooo much more to come. <em>


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you to my beta Elsanna-is-the-law. Direct continuation from last chapter._

* * *

><p>Anna kept replaying the whole day in her head as she sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on her way into the San Fernando Valley. An ant line of red and white light trailed over the pass, providing little distraction to the onslaught of thoughts bombarding Anna's mind. So she found her patient attractive. What was the big deal? Elsa could be attractive and Anna could still do her job without it leading to anything. For some reason it was easier for her to write off Elsa's unintentional flirting because she was the patient and completely dependent upon Anna right now. Some of her behavior was just natural for a patient in her situation. And Anna couldn't help but admit that she herself was just a really likable person so again, she couldn't really blame Elsa.<p>

The traffic finally broke up and Anna exited off the freeway and rolled into the apartment complex where her mom and Olaf lived. Nothing fancy but it was all Anna's mother could afford after having two kids on one income in such an expensive city for so long.

"Anna!" Olaf yelled excitedly as soon as she walked through the door, welcoming her with a hug so tight it knocked the wind out of her. "I got new a game for my DS. Come see!" yanking the poor woman's arm out of her socket in the direction of his room.

"Whoa, whoa young man. I know you have homework and that's why I'm here." Anna twirled Olaf around back towards the dining table where he usually did his homework while Anna's mom prepared dinner and decompressed from her workday.

"But Annnnna," he whined, digging his heels in as she scooted him into a chair at the table.

"Maybe _after_ homework if there's time."

Anna helped Olaf get set up at the table and then went to say hi to her mother who was busy in the kitchen heating up some dinner for everyone. She was hardly a cook but when it came to preparing pre-cooked frozen meals she was an old pro.

"There's my special girl. Hi honey," Linette said as she gave Anna a hug. "You look a little... I don't know. Not quite you."

A forced smile slipped across Anna's lips, pushing those earlier thoughts aside as best she could. "I'm fine. I just had a long day with a new patient. Anyways, I should help Olaf. I just wanted to say hi."

"Alright. If you're hungry, dinner will be ready in five," Linette called as Anna left the kitchen.

Back at the table Olaf had his math book opened under a flurry of papers. That boy could never stay organized.

"Heard you had a new patient. How's that going?" Olaf inquired as if he were decades beyond his actual age.

"I get new patients all the time. Why are you suddenly so interested in what I do?" she asked curiously.

"Because you've never complained about your job... _ever_." Olaf's face was stuck in a befuddled state with his buck teeth prominently jutting out the more he inspected the blasé look etched upon her usually perky face.

"What's wrong Anna?," he frowned.

"Olaf, can I tell you a secret? Don't tell mom."

"Oh, a _secret_. I like the sound of that. Go on." His little brown eyes widened in anticipation and he made himself comfy in his chair to hear this very intriguing secret his big sister had.

"My patient is a woman. She's only a year older than me actually. And I think I..like her. Or she likes me. I don't know but it's very confusing. So...that's what's wrong." Russet brows pinched together as Anna buried her face in her hands. Was she seriously talking about her love troubles with her 13-year-old brother?. Perhaps she needed to get out and make more friends like her mother had suggested years ago.

"She pretty?" Olaff inquired with a growing grin.

"Extremely and that's not helping things Olaf." It wasn't helping but it sure put a gorgeous image of Elsa's long platinum hair shining in the sunlight with that infectious smile and comely figure into her head.

"She nice?"

"_Very_," Anna replied almost sadly. Why did Elsa have to be pretty _and _nice? It was proving to be a formidable combination.

"So hang out with her." As if was that simple.

"I can't Olaf. I'm not supposed to be anything other than a nurse to my patients. I can't hang out with or date them or anything like that."

"So don't be her nurse anymore. Then you can be her friend," bouncing his brows like he'd suddenly become Anna's matchmaker.

"I can't do that either because that's abandonment. I could get in trouble for that too. Besides, she needs me. She lost five years of memories and she has a fiancé waiting for her to remember him so that he can marry her. Another reason why I can't like her. And… I don't even think she likes women." Olaf had been nodding along to what she was saying but now he just looked more confused than ever. "Why am I talking to you about this? Get started on the word problems and I'll be right back." What did a guy know about a woman's problems anyways? And a prepubescent boy at that.

"M'kay," Olaf shrugged and watched Anna stalk away from the table. "Where are you going?"

"To talk to mom."

Anna moseyed back into the kitchen to get a woman's perspective, hoping she wasn't disturbing the heavy-duty cooking going on in the microwave.

"I knew it wouldn't take long before you cracked. Talk to me honey. What's on your mind that's got you all wound up?" Anna sidled up to her mom as she wrapped an arm around her girl.

"I think I like one of my patients. And the crazy thing is… I've only known her a week." At this point Anna almost sounded depressed. The more she revealed her true feelings, the more she realized just how much she really did like Elsa.

"And you're worried about your job?" Linette replied warmly. She always knew where Anna's mind was headed.

"I'm worried about my _mind_. My heart keeps taking it to places it doesn't want to go."

"Sweetheart, I hate to say this but you're 24 and there are plenty of fish in the sea. Nothing is worth losing your job over. Look at all you've accomplished. You graduated early from high school, got a scholarship, and are one of the best rehabilitation therapists in the city. And on top of that, you make great money and you love it. No girl is worth losing that over. If you still like her after you're done working with her then you can take a look at it but I heard you talking to Olaf and that girl has a fiancé waiting for her. You're going to break everyone's heart if you let this materialize." It was the cruel reality that Anna needed to hear. Just because she felt that way about Elsa didn't mean she needed to act on it. And her mother was right. Elsa was already engaged to Hans. She could remember that at any moment and Anna would look like a fool when that happened if she told Elsa how she felt.

"So what do I do?" Anna asked with sullen eyes. She could tell it was a crush by the amount of anguish it was causing her. It was the exact reason it was called a crush and not a build-up.

"It's okay to be friends with her but just remember to stay professional. You know how the mind works. You tell it not to do something and that's all it wants to do. So give it a direction. Something like, help my patient. Be her friend. You'll think of something." Linette patted Anna softly on the back and returned her attention to dinner as she pulled three plates from the cupboard.

"I can do that," Anna affirmed with a nod. It wasn't the easy thing to do but it probably was the right thing to do. Why couldn't the right thing ever be easy?

"I know you will honey."

* * *

><p>Back on the other side of town Elsa was doing the exact same thing Anna was and having a heart-to-heart over dinner with her mother as well. First she started by telling Iris about the wild experience of recovering four months worth of memories, some that were still flashing in her mind like non-stop slide show. Iris was so thrilled she practically cried tears of joy in hopes that this meant Elsa could eventually regain all or at least most of her memories back. Elsa was just as excited as her mother until she brought up Hans. All Iris seemed to be concerned about was how close Elsa was getting to remembering him, counting out the number of months on her fingers and telling Elsa how she was getting so close. Which she wasn't. Four months still put Elsa more than two full years away from the time she'd met Hans. She still couldn't even remember Kristoff and she was on the verge of that point on her timeline.<p>

She knew her mother loved her but it was like the woman was completely oblivious to the way Elsa was close to bursting into tears when she thought back to what Anna said about just being herself and finding a fulfilling life. The vision of her beautiful daughter walking down the aisle on her wedding day was a dream Iris wasn't ready to give up on because she knew how much she and Hans had wanted to get married. Or at least that's what Elsa had led her to believe before the accident. Anytime Elsa had got cold feet or had second thoughts she pushed those thoughts aside and pressed on with the wedding plans. Hans, his family, and their future together was something she knew she could never top. Their families were so close, personally and professionally, and everything between them just seemed to make perfect sense. Therefore, Elsa never let on to anyone that she may have had her doubts. If she did, she was going to take them to her grave.

"Mama, why did I love Hans?" Elsa asked while Iris replaced her half eaten dinner with a fresh slice of homemade tiramisu. It looked delicious but Elsa's mind and stomach were much too full to concern herself with dessert. Even tiramisu.

"You mean why did you love him before the accident?" Iris clarified and sat back down across from Elsa at the enormous formal dining table.

"Well I don't love him _now_, so obviously from before?" She still had a bad habit of sassing her mother every once in a while and tonight was no exception.

"What do you mean you don't love him now?"

"How can I love him? In my mind I've only known him four days."

"Yes but in those four days have you not come to some understanding about what your relationship with him is like?. What it means? Hans would give his life for you. You mean to tell me you don't feel anything after everything you've learned about your two years together." Iris was so impassioned that Elsa wasn't even sure whose side she was on.

"I can't fall in love with someone because of a history lesson or because someone tells me I'm supposed to. It doesn't work like that," Elsa snapped.

"Yes, it does. How did I meet your father?" Iris asked all too knowingly as she waited for Elsa to reply.

"On a blind date," she murmured, eyes downcast and away from her mother.

"Yes but not just _any_ blind date Elsa. It was an arrangement between our families. I barely knew your father when I agreed to marry him and I have not regretted it one day of my life. Please don't misunderstand. I _want _you to be happy."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do. But you don't know what you want right now. Those of us around you remember who you were, what your dreams were, and what made you happy." A beat of silence passed but Elsa refused to accept what her mother was saying. Iris looked at her and wasn't swayed by the frown on Elsa's face or the tears welling in her eyes.

"But what if all that's changed," Elsa said softly, losing the will to fight against the giant expectations too heavily placed upon her.

"It doesn't matter. It _will_ change back," her voice more determined than ever to get her point through.

"And if it doesn't?"

"Elsa stop!" she shouted, lips trembling from the sudden outburst that made Elsa jump in her seat. "It will. I don't want to hear you say anything pessimistic about your condition. You have to keep faith that it _will_ come back. Just keep thinking good things and they'll happen."

* * *

><p>The following day Anna decided to start the morning with a fresh perspective on her situation. She could be nice to Elsa, friendly even, but first and foremost she was going to be a professional. No matter what flirty sexy things Elsa did. No matter how short her skirt was how or how much leg it showed.<p>

_Oh God, those legs. NO! Don't you dare mind! Help Elsa. Help Elsa. Be professional. Be professional._

Her new mantra ground its way into her brain as she exited off the freeway and turned to head into the canyon. She admitted to herself that she cared enough about Elsa to want to see her happy. That meant helping her restoring her memory and helping her make a new life. Just like she'd been telling Elsa the entire time.

Earlier that morning she had talked to Kristoff on the phone and tried to get as many details about the culinary school they had gone to as well as the details of their time there, hoping to make a quick run out to the school with Elsa and see if anything clicked for her.

Anna spent the second half of the phone call calming Kristoff's worries and assured him that Elsa was doing just fine but that she needed a little more time before she introduced another perfect stranger into her life. She was already having a hard enough time adjusting to Hans as it was but Kristoff felt better knowing that Elsa was just a few weeks or months shy from his memory and could feel like the sun was going to come out again for him.

Despite the way they had left things the night before, Elsa was relieved to see that Anna was in her usual high spirits when she came promptly at 10 and whisked her all the way to Pasadena to take a tour of the culinary school. It made it easier that Elsa was wearing pants that day, tight jeggings that showed off her amazing calves and heels that were sex on stilettos but at least she was more covered up.

Anna on the other hand was dressed in her more professional attire and slicked her hair into an intricate twist at the back of her head to keep Elsa's attention off her hair since she'd caught her staring at it several times over the past few days. She couldn't blame her to some degree. Redheads always seemed to garner a little more attention when it came to their flashy locks and she was guilty herself at ogling Elsa's fairy tale long hair as well.

Anna tried to keep the conversation light on their way and she talked about her favorite bands and video games since Elsa's musicals taste were five years behind. Every time she rattled off the name of an artist or game she liked Elsa made a mental note, especially when Anna mentioned she liked to play _Just Dance_ with her brother a lot and said it was hands down _way _better than going to the gym.

Once at the school they were greeted by one of Elsa's old instructors and given a tour. They strolled through kitchens and classrooms, the instructor remarking how talented Elsa had been nearly every chance he got. Elsa didn't remember him or anything he said but just hearing what promise she had shown as a student made her smile from the depths of her soul. Somewhere inside her was a gift she never knew existed that was unrivaled by anyone else at her school. She had found a way to step out from of her family's shadow and make a name for herself all on her own. And she didn't need her father's money, like Hans did, to support herself.

Not only that but she'd made a friend, a best friend from what the instructor and Anna were telling her and that was simply amazing. As an only child Elsa spent much of her childhood in an adult world with no one to play with or talk to. She went to fancy private schools and the girls were so jealous of her good looks and money that she often found herself eating alone and avoiding school activities all together. She didn't know Kristoff but she was looking forward to hearing about the man who had supported her talent and gone into business with her.

The culinary school had been fun to tour but it did absolutely nothing for Elsa's memory. And unbeknownst to Elsa, Anna's attempt to askew Elsa's puppy dog eyes and flirting by trying to dress more professionally only ended up backfiring because it made Anna look smart and powerful, an alluring quality that kept making Elsa's stomach flip, in the best way, every time she snuck a glance at the arch of Anna's foot when she popped it out of her dressy flats to stretch. Apparently Elsa might have had a bit of a foot fetish she herself was unaware of. The tailored black pants that fit Anna like a custom glove weren't helping either. It only made Elsa more aware of what a sculpturesque backside Anna had.

Clothing and looks aside, what she loved most about being with Anna was how she unconditionally cared for her without making her feel inadequate. Hans tended to treat Elsa like a baby, some fragile egg he had to handle with care for fear he would break her. Anna always handled everything, arranging the outings, planning their schedule, but she always included Elsa in the process and didn't use her authority to thwart her. It was a delicate balance that Anna achieved with the minimalist amount of effort. It was painful to see how well they worked together. How easily they opened up to each other. All the makings of a great relationship but in all the wrong circumstances.

Anna's mantra gave out midway through the drive home when it started to get dark and everything in the car looked somewhat romantic with just the glow of the dash lights illuminating the small cabin space.

Elsa's eyes were glued to the GPS screen like a moth to a flame as the little car icon inched its way down the tiny strip of freeway on the electronic grid.

"I'm sorry nothing came back to you today. That doesn't mean we didn't plant some seeds that may grow into something later though," Anna lilted with an optimistic rise of her voice, keeping her eyes fixed on the trail of red lights in front of her for fear that a wandering eye would only cause her to feel that heavy beating of her heart every time she looked at Elsa.

"Don't apologize. I had a great time if nothing else. Yesterday was fun too." Elsa pulled herself away from the screen and snuggled into the seat.

Anna's car felt like a home away from home. It reminded Elsa so much of Anna that she actually felt more comfortable in the car than she did at home. And it was filled with all kinds of little trinkets that were likes clues about Anna's life. Citrus flavored gum in the center console. An emerald-green sweater in the back seat. A yoga mat rolled up on the floor. All things that reminded Elsa that Anna was her own person with a life outside of her patients. Outside of her.

"Anna, I don't know what happened just before you left yesterday but I can only guess it was because I hugged you… and I feel like I should apologize for overstepping my boundaries. You're my nurse and… you mean a lot to me right now. I would really hate for things to be awkward between us. So please accept my apology and know I'll try to keep it more professional in the future."

Anna let out a small puff of air that was the soft beginning of a chuckle as she stole a glance at a timid Elsa curled up in the seat next to her.

"It's funny that you say that because… I think it has something to do with the fact that I've never worked with anyone close to my age before but… this is the most I've enjoyed working with a patient. And we do get along so well that I scared myself when I thought I was losing my boundaries last night. But I thought about it more today and I think I just have to be easier on ourselves. There's nothing in my ethics book that says you can't hug a patient. You see nurses hug patients all the time so don't apologize. We can talk about personal things as long as all of this doesn't hurt you or interfere with your treatment."

Perfectly arched blonde brows furrowed and Elsa swallowed thickly. "If it's okay that nurses hug their patients, why did your mood change so quickly after we did?"

Anna paused and lightly drummed her slender fingertips against the steering wheel as she gave the question some thought.

"Because I personally have never hugged a patient. And when you did… I liked it. And it scared me because I didn't know what that meant."

"There are moments where you scare me too," Elsa confessed.

"Scare you how?"

"Scare me because I don't know if I'm idolizing you because you're my nurse or because… " Anna had been so honest and bold in her reply that it spurred Elsa on but her bravery dissipated just as she was about to tell how she really felt. How Anna had become the reason why she got out of bed in the morning. How she'd become her endless source of happiness. How she was the most beautiful woman she'd ever come to know. But how could she say that?

"Elsa, just be honest. We can clear this up a lot faster if we just get it out in the open and talk about it," urging not only Elsa but herself as well.

"Because I _really_ like you... as a friend." Oh, how she mentally smacked herself for lying after being to told to just be honest. It was her chance and she took the easy way out.

"I like you too." _As a patient. Why didn't I say as a patient? Now it sounds weird if I say it after so long. _

Silence was the only thing they found comfort in for the rest of the ride home. Their brains and mouths refused to work together in cadence so to spare themselves any more humiliation, they just didn't say anything.

But words weren't needed to keep that glorious heat between them burning and building like a sea of flames. They could feel it every time they were near each other now. Highly aware of the way their hearts beat a little faster. Their palms grew clammier. And that intoxicating surge of fear and euphoria mixed together formed an exhilarating concoction of raw, unbridled desire.

The car pulled along the curb and to the right all the lights in the house were turned on. Elsa could see Hans on the top floor glancing out the window as he checked to make sure it was Elsa before returning back to his office to finish up some work.

"I won't see you until after the weekend and it's your first one on your own with Hans. So just remember what I said about being you. Take some time to make yourself happy and enjoy life until I see you again on Monday. Alright?" Anna smiled brightly but softer than usual, like they'd reached a new level of comfort that was showing in the warmth of her freckles features.

"Okay," Elsa breathed with an uneasy sigh. "I don't know if it's because I did yesterday or because we just talked about it but I really want to give you a hug again. What you're doing for me, it's what's keeping me going right now."

"I think after talking about it, a hug is fine."

"You're sure?"

"I'm more than sure. Believe or not I like hugs a lot and I owe you for yesterday."

Elsa unbuckled her seat belt and Anna did the same, giving themselves more freedom to meet at the center console and let this hug they'd been talking about on the entire way home finally happen.

As soon as Elsa leaned in, Anna followed and relaxed into Elsa's gentle hold. What had started as the causal/professional hug they talked about earlier, flew out the window when their chests pressed together and Anna became suddenly aware that her cheek was against the slender column of Elsa's neck, her pulse thrumming just below the powder white skin. There was no time to wonder if this had been a bad idea because Anna's heart was already pounding against Elsa's breasts and the blonde was being consumed by a heavenly sweet smell she could only describe as _Anna. _Elsa was so impossibly close that Anna could feel the rise and fall of her shallow breathing, pressing into her each and every time the air shuttered on its way out.

Anna bit her lip and the sound of her moving mouth tickled Elsa's ear, the image of that pink tongue darting out, flooding her mind and sending the most wonderful surge of electricity branching and creeping out through every firing nerve in her body. The temperature soared and it had only been a matter of seconds. Torrid air scorched their tender exposed skin. Burned by a passion they could not yet comprehend.

The appropriate time for a hug to end had long passed and it wasn't until Hans abruptly knocked on the window that they ripped themselves away from each other with a yelp.

"God! He's always doing that!" Elsa turned and gave a disinterested wave to Hans who was repeatedly trying to open the door even though it was obviously locked.

"You better go. I'll see you Monday," Anna managed, swallowing back the adrenaline from Hans' scare and their strangely erotic hug.

"Yeah, Monday. Have a good weekend."

Hans lead Elsa into the house and began to ask her about her day as she tried to act remotely interested.

Anna let out a breath so heavy that her back arched away from the seat and she slumped over the steering wheel in defeat, admitting to herself that an unprofessional, hot as hell hug _just _happened. It happened and she _liked_ it. A lot. And she was in deeper trouble than originally thought because it was _mutual. _There was no denying it. This was awful. And wonderful. It was downright confusing is what it was because while her mother's voice was echoing in her head, her loins were on fire and begging for attention in the worst way as she recalled the feeling of Elsa's warm breath rushing against her prickling skin. Those lips. That laugh. That wasn't how _friends,_ or whatever they were, thought about each other.

Just when she finally collected herself enough to drive home she looked up and saw Elsa standing at the window smiling down at her and mouthing _go home_ while shooing her with her hands. Anna laughed to herself, slightly embarrassed and wondering how long Elsa had been standing there and gave a small wave back. Elsa smiled again except this time she playfully blew Anna a sassy kiss and disappeared back into the dice shaped home. And it was in that moment Anna knew she was powerless against whatever force kept drawing them together. It was beautiful and heart shattering at the same time.

* * *

><p>Elsa spent most of the weekend trying to avoid Hans, which was pretty easy considering he was gone most of the day Saturday working, again. When he eventually staggered through the door just after four he found Elsa in the living room wearing nothing but a sports bra and tight workout pants while dancing to something on TV.<p>

"What are you doing?" he asked and set his briefcase down next to the couch.

"Playing a game." Hans looked back at the screen where the silhouette of a woman in a sparkly navy dress dancing rather lasciviously to ABBA's _Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie _in what looked like a club filled with the same silhouetted people.

"It looks like you're dancing. And quite..._provocatively_ I might add." Hans stood back and took in the way Elsa popped her hips in syncopated time to the beat and undulated her body in way he'd never seen before but was extremely happy to be witnessing now.

"It's a dance game. For X-Box 360," she huffed breathlessly between rhythmic side steps and sultry shoulder rolls.

"But we don't own an X-Box."

"We do now. I had my mom take me shopping."

"Ah ha." His mind went blank for a minute when Elsa bent her body in half and slowly circled her rear in the air, drawing a perfect S with it as a low growl rumbled in his chest. "What possessed you to buy a game console and this game in particular? You normally don't dance...like this."

"Anna told me about it. And it's really addicting. I've been playing for two hours."

"That's why you're all… sweaty." His eyes clapped onto the delicious trail of perspiration trekking between her shoulder blades. That flawless starlit skin glistening as her body continued to work itself into one compromising position after another.

"I'm going to go take a shower. Care to join me?" he said half kidding, salaciously wiping a trail of sweat from the slope of her lower spine with his forefinger.

"What?!" she snapped and whipped around to face him.

"It was a joke. Because you're all sweaty."

"I'm not laughing," she scowled.

Stranger things kept happening throughout the weekend, starting with the small makeover Elsa did to her side of the bedroom. After dinner she was still dancing around the house but this time with earphones jammed in her ears and her phone plastered to her hand.

"Elsa. Elsa!" Hans yelled over the music.

"What?" pulling a bud from her ear as music continue to pour out of it at a deafening volume.

"What are you listening to?"

"Taylor Swift," she replied innocently and showed him the open app on her phone.

"Did Anna recommend that album?" he asked liked he already knew the answer.

"Yeah, why?" A smile twinkled out of the corner of her mouth that didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Just wondering." Hans stuck the earphone back into her ear and watched with a great detail of interest as Elsa shimmied down the hall, hair swishing and flipping the entire way. Something was different with her. More than usual.

By bedtime Hans couldn't stand to be away from her another second longer and took the opportunity to talk to Elsa after they finished brushing their teeth at the vanity.

"Elsa..." he said softly, hands on either side of himself as he learned his lower back against the lip of the counter.

"Yes."

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"I suppose."

"I know you can't possibly feel the same way I feel about you and I've been very patient with the treatment and your memory. I want to respect that but at the same time... I'm suffering so much. I fell in love with this amazing woman, fearing at one point that she'd been taken from me entirely. But you're alive and you're here but... I miss you... I miss what we had terribly. I can't tell you that I love you. I can't hold you or touch you and it's driving me crazy." His hands raised with the urge to touch her, to hold her but instead he just found himself staring at them, splayed and worthless to him anymore. He closed his eyes and his hands curled into fists, itching to just have one more feel of that chiffon like skin he cherished so.

"What is it you want from me?" That feeling of guilt crept back into her bones.

"Believe me, I hate myself for even asking but I have to. Can I kiss you?"

Her eyes sprang open and blinked rapidly in response, mouth dropping in surprise which only made that scarlet bottom lip even more irresistible to him.

"Please. Just once." Her heart broke for him. It had to be torture to have his fiancé right in front of him all the time but have to treat her like an acquaintance. So she relented for a brief moment and gave into the guilt.

"Just once," she said firmly.

With one small step Hans narrowed the distance between them, hips dangerously close to her as Elsa's breath began to pick up. Trying to ease the awkwardness of the moment and get the most out of his opportunity, Hans gently cupped his strong yet smooth hands against the sides of her angelic face as her eyes naturally fluttered closed. It was fairly dark and she waited in suspense until he pulled her close and she felt a pair of lips press against her own in a chaste kiss.

It wasn't too bad, kind of nice actually. Would have been even better if there was any hint of chemistry between them. She placed a flat hand against his chest in an attempt to break away but that just made Hans bring her even face closer, crushing their lips together as he hungrily kissed her. It was greedy and pushed way beyond her limits. It wasn't until he slipped his tongue past her lips that she pried herself off of him.

"That's taking advantage of my offer." Gelid blue eyes glared daggers into Hans as she slowly backed away, shaking with anger as he floundered with his words.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. Did it… trigger anything?" Hans asked pathetically.

"Just rage," she cut sharply as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Hans held his hands up in a sign of solidarity but she now knew better. Giving Hans an inch meant giving him a mile. And he wasn't patient. He wasn't kind. He was greedy and desperate for old Elsa.

"Don't ever try anything like that with me again. I don't owe you anything. The next time you want something from me, I suggest you earn it."


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you to my lovely beta Elsanna-is-the-law. A little NSFW in the first paragraph._

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><p><em>"Elsa," a celestial voice sibilated against her ear, amorous tongue rounding the shell as a kiss chased a soft whimper into the snow white skin. "Touch me," the voice begged. "I need you." Slim fingers searched every knoll and vale of the her exposed body, shuddering with arousal at the angel soft touch. "I think about you. All the time. Can't take my eyes off of you when you're near me." Her body arched to meet a hand that had found purchase between her trembling thighs, cupping the warm mound and teasing out that blushful pearl from under its hood. "I've been wanting to do this for so long." The pad of a persistent thumb swirled her into paradise, worlds colliding as she lost all sense of reality and succumbed to the goddess above her. "I love you, Elsa," the murmur rushing warm against her lips, sharing the sweet air between them as an erotic cry broke into the void. "Love me. I'm yours."<em>

Morning sun from over the Pacific poured through Elsa's bedroom window. Patches of golden warmth extended across the duvet, waking Elsa from the most glorious dream. A sleepy smile touched the corners of her lips and she awoke to the most urgent need. That same voice that occasionally begged her to sleep just five more minutes was beckoning her to the steady throbbing at the apex of her willowy legs. Her mind was lost in a quandary of sleep so her hand answered the call instead and before she could reason with herself, her fingers pressed against that long deprived bundle of nerves waiting patiently to be stirred from its dormant state. And then she remembered her dream. About Anna. How her lips had grazed that honey-warm skin along her breastbone and done things she didn't know she had the sexual know-how to pull off.

At first she was aghast by how lewd her imagination had dared to venture. But the need was fiercely strong and when she saw that Hans' side of the bed was empty, she slipped off her nightgown and let her fingers go to work, taking her away to a place where anything was possible; where her deepest fantasies could come to fruition without judgment from the rest of the world.

Her breath hitched in her throat and her other hand found its way to her breast, pinching and twisting the rosy peak nub between her nimble fingers. Her lust was driven by just one thought. It shocked her but she continued to let her mind fill with images of her heart's greatest desire.

All at once, in a bed once christened by her and her fiancé's lovemaking, Elsa only thought of Anna, ravishing herself as her head rolled from side to side in glorious rapture to a song that sweetly fell from her lips. She dreamed of Anna like an ethereal apparition floating above her as she touched herself and moaned her name under her breath, spoiling and desecrating her once future marital bed with every swirl of her fingers and knead of her ripe breast.

She didn't try to stop herself once. The folding and unfolding that was happening inside of her, the pairing of Anna's beautiful face to the outpouring of orgasmic bliss melting and rippling throughout her body harmonized her mind, body, and soul to let her know that what she felt was destined to be.

"Baby?" Hans' voice ripped Elsa from her euphoria as her eyes shot open and she hastily covered herself with the sheet, thick Egyptian cotton the only thing between her and Hans' constantly prying eyes.

"I thought I asked you not to call me that," she managed and tried not to act like she was breathless with arousal or that the heat between her thighs was still screaming for release.

"Okay then. Elsa Linnea Everstad, what on Earth are you doing?"

She licked her lips, buying herself another precious few seconds to come up with something. "Stretching," she replied flatly.

"I mean why are you naked? I'm _assuming_ the rest of you is naked under there."

Elsa's hand nervously twisted in her platinum locks. "I was hot. And I'm about to a take shower," inching the sheet further up her exposed frame.

Hans grudged a grin at her adorable but failed attempt to hide the fact she'd clearly been practicing the art of self-love.

"I see. I must say, I rather like this particular new side of you." The smooth swaggering tone of his voice was a bit alarming and it made her heart jump into her throat when he sat down on the bed and leaned into her.

"What side would that be?" she quavered, clutching the sheet even tighter to her chest.

"You're much more..._sexual_ lately," his nose wrinkling impishly as he spoke. "The way you dress, the way you act. I'm a guy. I pick up on these things." He'd been picking up on all _kinds_ of things lately. The dancing, the clothing, her hair. Perhaps Elsa was just playing hard to get and he'd been too busy throwing himself at her to realize she might be doing the very same thing, or so he thought.

"And how is that different from before exactly?" Elsa never remembered being overtly sexual but she could hardly believe that she'd morphed into some puristic version of herself in the last five years that didn't express her sexuality in any way. What the hell had happened to her after college?

Hans cupped his prominent chin, following the chiseled lines with his thumb and index fingers as he chose his words carefully.

"_Demure_ is how I think I'd describe it. You dressed nice just, more covered up I guess. And you were always game for just about anything but were kind of shy at the same time. This is the first time I've caught you..._stretching_." He chuckled childishly as a deep crimson bloomed across Elsa's cheeks.

"That's not what- never mind. What time is it?" A feeble attempt to change the subject.

"Almost nine. I'm just saying. Next time you want to scratch that itch, I'd be more than happy to help you out," bouncing his eyes as he flashed her that all too confident smirk of his.

"Too soon Hans. Way, way, way too soon. Please can I have some privacy so that I can get ready?"

"Absolutely."

Hans politely closed the door and Elsa pressed her fingers to her temples, pulse pounding under the paper-thin skin. What was she doing? She couldn't even fully admit to herself that she liked Anna and here she was pleasuring herself, pretending it was the precocious redhead doing those lascivious things to her. And she not only liked it but she almost rocketed into a shuddering orgasm just thinking about it.

The arousal was long gone and she hugged her knees into her bare chest as she faced reality. It was time to be honest with herself. She was attracted to Anna. Sexually, emotionally, and intellectually, head over heels for the woman. The thought was almost frightening to admit as she buried her face in her hands. According to her memory and accounting for her time with Hans, she'd never been attracted to another woman, ever. Not even the slightest twinge of interest in women romantically her entire life. So what the hell was happening now?

For some strange reason Elsa found herself crying, tearing as she let the thoughts she'd been trying to drown finally rise to the surface. She wasn't just attracted to Anna, she was _infatuated_ with her. She fantasized about making love with her, holding hands with her, pressing her lips against her tanned summery skin. Worst of all, sometimes she secretly hoped she'd never regain her memory because that meant remembering Hans. That would mean no more Anna because Elsa would technically be "cured" and wouldn't have a need for her anymore. The wedding would probably be rescheduled and before she knew it she would be Mrs. Westergard and popping out children on a yearly basis. Or whatever their ridiculous plan had been.

The other problem was that the only time she could be around Anna was when they were working on getting her memory back. Such an awful predicament left her feeling more alone than she'd ever had felt before. Up until now she could always count on Anna to be there for her when she felt alienated from the world but she couldn't very well talk to Anna about having a giant schoolgirl crush on her.

The tears dripped off the end of her button nose and formed a puddle on both of her boney kneecaps until she thought of the one person who old Elsa probably would have turned to. Even if she couldn't remember everything, she needed help and there simply wasn't another option.

* * *

><p>Freshly showered and hair neatly braided off to the side, Elsa ran her hand over the dangling sets of keys to Hans' many cars as she decided which one to use as her getaway car. Maserati, Porsche, Audi. Trophies to compensate for Hans' lack of self-esteem no doubt. Or something else she wished to never have to confirm in person. At the end was a mysterious fob that looked like a shiny toy car, black with a polished Darth Vader-like finish to it that perked Elsa's interest.<p>

"What is this?" Elsa asked with the arch of a brow and held the strange bobble up to Hans, who was busy thumbing through the stock report on his tablet.

He quickly flicked his eyes up and back, showing little interest in her curiosity. "It's the fob to the Tesla."

"Fob?" she asked with a tilt of her head, still suffering from the five-year gap in technological advances.

"It's like a key."

"For a car?"

"Yes. Tesla is the make of the car." His eyes were still locked on the screen, neglecting to notice that this was probably one of the longest conversations he'd had with Elsa in days.

"Like Nicolai Tesla? He's dead. How can he make cars?"

"It's just the name of the car. Why do you ask?"

"Can I drive it?"

"Of course. It's yours."

"I thought I crashed mine."

He chuckled and let a smile slip through. "You have two. I convinced you to get something nicer and that's what you chose. Though you hardly drove it," eyes rolling as they found their way back to the scrolling crawl of the NASDAQ.

"Great. So I'll be back in a few hours." Elsa grabbed her purse off the table and giddily sashayed towards the garage. It took Hans a minute but when her words finally pushed through the financial chatter in his head he jumped from the table and gently pulled her back by her arm.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where are you going?" he queried with the sound of terror flitting in his tone.

"Out. I'm coming back," she assured and attempted to free her arm from his bear paw grasp.

"Elsa you _cannot_ just take a car you've never driven out by yourself, especially after...after what's happened." His eyes grew sad but she ignored it.

"It's a car first of all. I still remember how to drive and I was born and raised here. I know how to get around LA and find my way back. Does it have GPS?" proud that she at least knew what that was.

"You don't understand," Hans pleaded. "This car practically has its own PhD and besides, I don't want you driving anything anywhere. I'll take you." He released her arm and dashed back to the rack and grabbed the keys to the Porsche.

"No!" she blurted loudly. "I mean, no thank you. Show me how to use the car and let me have just an ounce of freedom for once. As far I as I know the accident wasn't my fault. The odds of something like that happening again are astronomically low. And I have the ridiculously thin cell phone you gave me in case I need to call someone." It was a fair argument but he still didn't want to let her go.

"_Me_. You call _me_. I'm the one responsible for you," he reminded sternly.

"Fine. Fob please." Elsa held out her tiny hand and Hans finally let it fall into her palm. Fighting with her about this would only continue to drive a wedge between them and he couldn't afford to the let that happen with his efforts already proving to be worthless. This Elsa was independent and fiery. Nothing like the doting malleable woman she'd been before. Sure they disagreed on things but Hans was usually able to get Elsa to come around to his point of view, relenting on things that were less trivial to him so that she still felt like she had a voice in their relationship.

Hans walked out with her to the garage and helped her into the car, adjusting the seat and mirrors to her liking, making sure she was as safe as could be. If he could have swaddled her in bubble wrap he probably would have.

"Where do I put this?" Elsa asked as she held up the fob, eyes panning the simplistic yet utterly confusing dash for something that resembled an ignition.

"Just set it in the console. It's keyless and electric so you just press the brake to turn the car on. The screen will tell you everything you need to know. Shifter is here, speedometer here, and battery level here. Please for the love of God be careful and call me every half an hour," he begged gravely. She was too precious to lose and he damn near already had.

"Okay _father_. I'll be home before curfew as well." Elsa sassed with an incredulous roll of her eyes, tired of the way he kept treating her like an incapable child. The accident had knocked her back to twenty-years-old, not five.

"I'm serious Elsa. Everything I care about is in this car."

Elsa took a quick look around the completely empty cabin, the only thing in it being her. Hans was still crouched between the open door, worry touching every feature of his lightly freckled face.

"I understand," she replied solemnly. Her father himself would have probably said the same thing and even though Hans pushed, it still felt good to know that someone cared that she came home at night.

Begrudgingly Hans watched as she rolled out the garage and drove down the street, waiting until she was well out of sight before he grabbed the keys to the Porsche and peeled out of the garage himself.

As soon as Elsa was far enough away from the house she pulled over and looked up the address to her destination on her phone, still getting used to how sleek and high-tech everything around her was. Technology had really come a long way in the past five years. It took her a good ten minutes but she finally figured out how to plug the address into the car's GPS and she was on her way.

* * *

><p><em>Anna. Anna, Anna, Anna. <em>The Anna song had begun to play in her head along Wilshire Blvd. and somewhere off in the hospital the _Elsa_ song was playing in Anna's head as she made her rounds. Two synchronized peas in a pod they were.

The shiny midnight blue car rolled down the street lined with adorable boutiques and specialty shops until she found what she was looking for.

"Forever Chocolate," she read aloud to herself. Nothing felt familiar about it but just knowing that it was hers gave her a felt sense of accomplishment. She might have failed her business class but she sure knew how to apply what she had learned by the looks of the fancy floor to ceiling windows with decadent displays of the most scrumptious molded chocolate she'd ever seen.

She fumbled with the key fob and locked the doors before slowly lifting her sunglasses to get a better look at the storefront.

Kristoff was going over order sheets up at the front counter when he heard the bell above the door jingle and the sound of heels click across the floor.

"Be right with you," he groaned from his seat at a small corner table.

"Kristoff Bjorgman?" a voice asked quietly. Kristoff flipped back the strands of dusty blonde hair covering his eyes and lifted his head to see the most wonderful sight before him.

"Elsa? What are you doing here? Does this mean…" He rose from his chair, tentatively approaching the timid blonde.

"It's me but I'm not here because...because of what you're hoping for. I stood out front for a few minutes but nothing came back to me. I'm sorry." Elsa sheepishly crossed her arms over herself as she stood at the center of the shop, studying the man who'd once been her most trusted confidant.

"Don't apologize," he replied gently, nervously straightening the stack of papers on the table to make it appear more appropriate for his guest, or boss. _Both?_ "I can't believe you're here. How did you ever escape sideburns?"

"Ha! They are ridiculous aren't they?" It took an eternity but someone finally said it. Those auburn patches of hair stole her attention every time she looked at Hans, and not in a good way. She liked this guy already, a straight shooter who spoke his mind.

"I came here because... I don't know where else to go. I don't have anyone besides my parents, Hans, and Anna. And I know that you know me." Her eyes were so eerily familiar. That same azure sparkle glistened in the evening light but they were filled with a lonesome sadness that pulled at his heartstrings and he could tell something was wrong. He wanted to comfort her but he quickly reminded himself that although he could recall every moment of their friendship at the drop of a hat, she had no recollection of him whatsoever and he needed to be _extremely_ mindful of that. She was already so brave to come here on her own and it was like trying not to scare a frightened deer that had wandered into camp.

"This feels weird but it's only right I introduce myself... since it's basically like you've never met me. I'm Kristoff, best friend and business partner. And now...not a complete stranger." A hearty chuckle rumbled low in his chest and it sent a shy giggle from Elsa's own.

"Thank you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you. Us. This place." Her head panned across the room, taking in every detail of the exquisite little shop. Solid Jacobean flooring with dark rich cabinetry and siding along the beautiful display cases. Tall glass jars filled with colorful delights lined the opposing wall and she felt like she'd step into a sophisticated version of Wonka's dream factory, on a much smaller scale. And the _smell_, it was intoxicatingly wonderful. Notes of cocoa and raspberry filled her head and she couldn't help closing her eyes and sucking in a breath of the sickeningly sweet aroma, humming with pleasure before returning her eyes to a fidgeting Kristoff.

"Here, please sit down. What's going on?" He was chivalry at its finest as he pulled a chair out for her and gave it a small scoot into the table. Elsa modestly wet her lips, abashed and perfectly chary as she searched Kristoff's walnut hued eyes for the smallest inkling of trust. And she didn't have to look very far to see that they were filled with compassion and patience.

"Are we...do you and I talk about things? I mean personal things?" she asked discreetly, still unsure of the exact context of her and Kristoff's relationship.

He chuckled lightly and folded his hands on top of the Parisian inspired table. "Yes. We talk about everything. I don't think we've ever said it out loud but I look out for you like I would a sister. I care about you very much and even though I know you have to just take my word for it, you can talk to me about anything." He'd already surpassed her initial test of character. If anything she could understand how she could have come to strike up a friendship with such a kindhearted person, unlike Hans who was still a bag full of mysteries.

She swallowed thickly and Kristoff braced himself for the unknown.

"Do I...have I ever...dated women?" Her fingers tangled together and her brows creased as she waited for him to answer.

"Uh...um...ah...no," he replied nervously, shifting his gaze to the sink full of dirty pans as he scratched the back of his neck. This really _was_ a new Elsa. "Why...why do you ask?"

"If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone. Including my parents and especially...Hans."

"Well now I _have_ to know. But seriously, I won't tell. What is it? Please." Another smooth breath slowly exited between her tensing lips as she prepared to say it out loud for the first time.

"I'm attracted to my nurse, Anna."

"The redhead? She's hot...I mean yeah, she's attractive. I could see why you'd feel that way about her." Kristoff quickly recrossed his legs and brought his hand to his mouth, burly fingers attempting to hide the smile threatening to show itself in front of an already unnerved Elsa.

He cleared his throat and leaned into the table with interest and care, allowing Elsa to relax her shoulders that had been caving in on herself since she walked in. "Tell me what you mean by attracted." This time his voice was steady and modulated, seeing as she was really serious and quite distraught over her confession.

"When I'm with her it's the happiest part of my day. The happiest I am ever actually. My heart races and I feel like I can't breathe at the same time. She does this thing where she checks the scar on my head and she's always so close I just want to press my lips against her and let my hands hug against her svelte little hips." Her eyes were closed and she suddenly realized she'd divulged more than she had intended to, seeing as how Kristoff's coffee brown eyes were as wide as saucers and his lips were slightly curled in confusion.

"I mean...I don't know what I mean," she said helplessly, letting her eyes fall away from his.

"You have a crush on her. No big deal," he laughed kindly with a shrug.

"It's more than that," and the look of despair and want in her eyes confirmed it.

"Do you love her?"

Elsa's lips quirked as she was tempted to say yes. "I don't know her well enough to say that but I think I could." And_ oh_, how she wanted to. She wanted to pour her heart out to Anna and smother that girl in a love she once thought only existed in dreams. "It's more than just how she looks. She's _amazingly_ funny and goofy at times. And she's so sweet and full of life. She exudes this energy. It's magnetic. When I'm with her I feel like I'm not missing out on anything. Like we're the center of each other's universe." Her expression had taken on a liveliness that he'd never seen when she talked about Hans. Perhaps this was real. What she deserved.

"How does she feel about you?"

"I haven't asked her straight out but...it feels mutual. There's this electricity and I can tell she's holding herself back."

"Elsa, I don't care about Hans. I want you to be happy no matter what. You're an amazing person and you deserve someone who will appreciate that."

"Did Hans?" She was dying to know the truth for once.

"He always gave off a bad vibe in my opinion. But no. He treated you like a thing, a commodity. I don't know if it was for your name or your money...but it wasn't for who you are like it should have been." It took a near death experience and a total memory wipe of their entire friendship but she finally heard him.

"I can see why you and I would be close. You're very easy to talk to." She giggled at the ease she felt around him and was suddenly aware of his charm. "Have we ever...dated?"

Kristoff burst with laughter and covered his mouth with his hand. "When we first met we thought there might be something there. We did go out once but that spark of something more was just never there. You and I are more bromance than romance," he assured with a brow bouncing emphasis.

"But we never...you know," Elsa cringed, motioning between the two of them. She couldn't handle another person vying for her affection in her life.

"No. We have never been intimate. I will be honest and say we kissed once but that's when our romance stopped and the bromance began."

It felt good to have someone to talk to. She couldn't discuss this with her parents or Anna and Kristoff provided a refreshingly honest and caring opinion about anything she said. She could feel the connection that was once there, he radiated it and she found herself throwing her arms around him; seeking comfort from the chaos that had become her life.

His arms were big and strong and she felt so safe with them wrapped around her. Kristoff could only imagine what she must have been going through and how confusing everything must be.

"Nothing makes sense to me. I can't connect to my old life and no one will understand who I've become. What if I never remember more than I already have? What if I can never return to my life as it was and I disappoint all those people?" She cried into his shoulder, feeling like he was the only one who could understand her blight.

"You may never remember. That doesn't mean you can't be happy. Just do what makes you happy. That's all anybody who genuinely cares for you wants."

Elsa pulled away and brushed the side of her finger along the smudged black eyeliner beneath her bottom lashes as she frowned.

"What if what I want...is Anna? I'm still expected to marry Hans eventually," she sobbed and Kristoff handed her a tissue. The poor thing was tearing up so badly her left eye had taken on a raccoon like circle where her makeup had smeared.

"You can't marry someone you don't remember. And maybe it's a good thing you don't. They can't expect to you to wait forever to remember Hans and marry him. If you like Anna just tell her. See if there's even something there first. You also have to keep in mind that she's with you as part of her job so be sensitive about that. Even if she likes you, you're gonna have to figure out how to make it work. She's also really helping you. After you gained four months back from going out to UCLA she was on the phone that night with me trying to make more progress. She's good. You don't want to lose that either."

She blotted her eyes with the tissue and even though Kristoff was saying exactly what she wanted to hear, as if reading from a script, he was right about Anna being there for her job and Elsa again felt torn between two worlds with her heart right smack dab in the middle of it all. The frown was still etched deep into her face as she sighed almost hopelessly. Falling for Anna was easy but making it a reality was an endless field of obstacles.

"Want some chocolate? It's cheaper than therapy and you never need an appointment."

That beguiling smile returned to her face as a laugh hiccupped its way out from her chest.

"That's funny. What's that from?" her smile stretching wider.

"You." The thump of his heart was heavy in the moment as a flash of Elsa working away in the kitchen teased his mind. "You always used to say that."

Out of everyone in her life only Kristoff had been able to describe an Elsa that she not only related to but admired. Her eyes cast across the room and she marveled at what they'd built together. How had she gone from this floundering collage dropout to capable, talented, chocolatier business woman? _This_ was an Elsa she wanted to remember. _This_ was an Elsa still inside of her, still living, still breathing. She could feel her soul lift in response to her mere presence in the room. Like it called to a part of her lost somewhere in the sands of times, begging to be rediscovered.

Best of all, Kristoff was patient. He didn't push and he hadn't asked once if anything had triggered her memory. He accepted her for who she was, in this moment. He ushered her in with an understanding that she was living in a strange world, seeking answers and struggling to adapt to a life that was her own but at the same time wasn't.

"I have cherry cordials or champagne truffles," Kristoff said and went behind the counter to see what was left in the front display cases.

"Are those my favorites?"

"No. It's what I made this afternoon. I'd only offer what's most fresh."

"What's my favorite?" Getting information out of Kristoff was an entirely different experience. He waited for her to seek it out instead of constantly reminding her who she used to be like Hans did.

"Dark chocolate." Her face twisted disinterestedly and she stuck out her tongue at the thought of bitter cocoa. "What?" he asked with a hearty laugh.

"Out of everything here that's what I like?"

"Doesn't sound good?"

"Champagne truffle sounds way better." Her eyes popped open as she spoke and her tongue swept across her top lip when she spied the delicious treats just beyond the crystal clear glass.

"So have a champagne truffle. It's okay if your tastes change. Anna said to expect changes to emerge."

"So, it's okay if I don't like dark chocolate?" she asked as Kristoff set two elegant truffles down in front of her.

"Elsa, you came in here to tell me you're in love with a woman and you think I care if you don't like dark chocolate anymore?" She smiled and a light pink colored her cheeks. "That smile right there, that's you. That's all I need. It's the same smile you've always had." The pink shaded into a lovely magenta as she dipped her chin bashfully, completely aware and self-conscious of the way she was beaming. It was because she felt accepted for once. She didn't have to meet anyone's expectations and it was the first time someone pointed out a positive old Elsa trait in her that she liked.

"Want a hug?" opening his arms to help lift her spirits just a little more. He could tell they were being pretty rough on her at home and it broke his heart to know they couldn't let go of all the burdens they placed in her. It really was unfair.

"Everything will be okay. I'm here for you. If you ever need to get away from them, you come here okay? This is your shop too." Elsa didn't say anything, emotion restricting her ability to speak and she nodded her head against his shoulder. She had a safe place now. Away from Hans. Away from her parents. A place of her own.

"Better?" he asked as they pulled apart.

"Yes." She felt better than she had since she woke up at the hospital, beside the times she'd been with Anna. That was seventh heaven bar none.

Kristoff walked Elsa outside and raised a brow at the shiny blue car.

"What are you driving?"

"A Tesla. Did you not know I had one?"

"No, I knew I just remembered you not liking it. It was an anniversary gift from Hans." Elsa tried to ignore that last part, not letting it taint her fondness of the futuristic automobile.

"It's kind of neat. I think Anna would really like it. She said she liked her Prius because it felt like driving a space ship." Truth be told, she couldn't wait to show it to Anna and be fully responsible for the exuberant grin that would surely spread across her adorable face.

"You going to tell her how you feel?" he encouraged playfully with a rise of his dusty blonde brows.

"I want to," she sighed heavily. If only it were that easy. There were so many variables to consider and although her heart knew what it wanted, she also needed to be mindful of Anna and what was important to her.

"Just wait for the right time. There's no hurry. You do what feels best."

"Thank you. Such a sweet man. How are you single?" she jested with a giggle.

"You work me so hard I don't have time to meet people. And now I have even less time," he said smiling dumbly, until Elsa's beguiling lips pressed into a frown, eyes downcast to the sidewalk below.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled meekly. Guilt rushed in as she mentally added another tally mark to the total number of people's lives she thrown off track.

"Don't be sorry. You didn't ask for this. You didn't cause this. Some driver who was trying to run a red light did."

That burden of guilt slowly lifted from her shoulders and for the first time in weeks it didn't feel like she was the cause of someone else's pain. And he was right. The accident wasn't her fault. Her losing her memory wasn't her fault. Her not loving Hans wasn't her fault.

A sigh freed itself and she instantly felt lighter, smile playing across her lips as Kristoff walked her back to her car and made sure she knew how to get back home safely, giving her a small box of their finest truffles to give to Anna for a job well done.

With the shop in her rear view mirror, her future seemed brighter than ever as she headed back home to the west side of town, mind flickering to life as she played out the countless ways to tell Anna her true feelings and embrace the new Elsa she'd become.

* * *

><p><em>I hate, hate, hate to have to do this but there won't be an update next week. I have to go out of town for work so I'm sorry my lovelies. BUT, from here on out is LOTS of Elsanna as things heat up. To answer everyone's question, yes, there will be smut in this. It's M for a reason :)<em>

_I think I've picked up a lot of new readers so for those of you who don't already know, I do have a tumbler under Freudianslip13 that I post update schedules and answer asks on. _

_For those of you reading The Company, the final chapter (a nice long one with some great smut) will be posted Monday Dec. 22._

_Thank you, thank you to everyone leaving reviews, constructive and positive! I love both!_


	9. Chapter 9

Monday morning and Anna had just finished braving the traffic all the way to Elsa and Hans' home from the hospital, ten o'clock on the dot, with a joyful smile on her face like she always did. After a long weekend, she'd had some time to think about their _interesting _hug from Friday, which neither of them had been able to get out of their head. The smile pulled tighter across Anna's face as she thought about the kiss Elsa had blown to her. When Hans unexpectedly answered the door her expression fell and she immediately panicked.

"W-Where's Elsa," she questioned with a shake of her head as Hans allowed her to step inside.

"She's still in bed. She feels awful." He seemed concerned but relatively calm and aloof.

"And you didn't call me?" Anna replied more angrily than she should have. Seeing to Elsa's health was her primary objective in this whole thing, aside from accidentally falling for the man's fiancée.

"I figured you were coming anyway, and she didn't seem _that_ bad." Like an idiot, Hans was still standing in the entryway talking away while Anna impatiently tapped her foot on the ground with her hands on her hips, flabbergasted by his lack of care for someone he claimed was the light of his life and the air he breathed. Anna had only known Elsa a matter of weeks, and she was light years more concerned that he was.

"And... where is she? I don't know my way around this place yet."

"Oh, right." It finally dawned on him that Anna had only seen Elsa in the den and never ventured beyond the first floor. Once his brain engaged, he led Anna up the contemporary-looking stairs that seemed to be floating on air and held together by the thinnest of railings. When they reached the bedroom, Elsa was curled up in the fetal position on her side of the bed with her head buried between her hands. Neither Hans nor Anna knew, but Elsa had been in an extreme amount of pain and had been using every bit of her strength to make it until ten when she knew her white knight, or perhaps valiant princess was more appropriate, would come to her rescue because, when push came to shove, Hans was utterly useless. Elsa's heart leapt for joy when she heard Anna's voice but was too incapacitated to remotely express it.

Hans stayed back in the doorway while Anna rushed to Elsa's side and set her medical bag down.

"Elsa, honey. What's wrong?" the pet-name flying out like an involuntary reflex.

Speaking was a monumental task right now, but Elsa pulled herself together, knowing she was in good hands. "M-My head," was all she could manage to mumble through a pounding headache, like Zeus himself was crashing lightning bolts inside her cranium.

"Left side?" Anna asked and placed her hand gently over the area just above Elsa's still-healing scar. The blonde didn't answer but nodded once instead. "I think it's a migraine." Elsa continued to whimper and Anna frowned in sympathy. The poor woman had her eyes screwed tighter than a sailor's knot and a permanent cringe sprawled across her peaked face. "Hans," Anna called to the man lazily watching their interaction.

"Hmm. Yeah," head snapping to Anna as he pulled himself from his thoughts. As if there was something more important to be thinking about at the moment.

"Go get some Ibuprofen, an ice pack, and a cup of coffee. Or tea. Which does she prefer?"

Hans rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't tell you these days," he said dejectedly.

"TEA!" Elsa yelled from under the covers.

"See? Used to be coffee." Hans had clearly given up on life, but Anna hadn't and his pathetic attempt to inflict some sort of guilt on Elsa was only making Anna see red.

"Tea it is. Get her some," Anna instructed firmly through gritted teeth. Hans turned on the heel of his expensive Italian boots and went to fetch the short list of items while Elsa continued to wail in agony.

Anna made a quick sweep of the room and closed every shutter and pulled every curtain closed until it was darker than Bruce Wayne's Batcave. Light sensitivity was one of the main differences between a headache and a migraine, and she almost couldn't believe that Hans had let Elsa remain in the blindingly bright sun drenched room for who knows how long when it was clearly driving her insane.

With the room veiled in darkness and the noise level deafeningly quiet, Anna went back to Elsa's bedside as Hans set the items on her nightstand and returned downstairs stairs. He was acting so strange, but Anna really didn't care at the moment. She was there, and she knew Elsa preferred her anyway.

"Elsa, can you sit up enough so that you can take this pill? It'll help keep any swelling down." She used her softest voice and helped Elsa up onto an elbow. The migraine was so debilitating that Elsa couldn't even open her eyes, so Anna did pretty much everything for her.

"Just open your mouth for me a little." Elsa did as Anna asked, sticky lips breaking their seal as Anna placed the tablet onto her tongue and held the rim of the tea cup up to her mouth. Anna then blew across the top of the steaming liquid a few times before Elsa took the tiniest of sips. "The caffeine will help too. I'll get you feeling better in no time. I know it hurts really bad."

After a few more swigs of tea she leaned Elsa back against the mattress and wedged an ice pack behind her neck to slow the blood flow. Her face was still taut with pain, but Elsa was comfortable enough for Anna to quickly take her temperature and other vitals, just to rule out infection or anything worse. Everything looked good, and Anna surmised it was just a terrible migraine that Elsa would have to ride out. It was one of the most common side effects of head trauma and sometimes they never went away. Anna had heard of cases where patients experienced bouts of crippling headaches decades after their initial trauma.

To help relieve more of the discomfort, Anna pulled a small tub of massage lotion from her bag and scooped a dollop onto her fingers, rubbing it over her thumbs, and sitting as close as she could next to Elsa. "I'm just going to massage your forehead a little to help the circulation. You just sit back and breathe. It'll pass Elsa, I promise." Elsa tried to take a deep breath, but it came out as a strangled cry on the way out. She'd never experienced anything like this before, and it was incredibly scary, but not as much with Anna there.

She smeared the cool peppermint smelling lotion across Elsa's forehead, and the chill it caused was exhilarating, helping Elsa relax just a bit more. Anna leaned over Elsa's wrenched face and pressed the pads of her thumbs to the center of Elsa's brows, using medium pressure to sweep them up and out towards each temple, repeating the motion to drive the blood into the constricted vessels to open them up. Next she nestled her thumbs just under Elsa's perfectly shaped eyebrows and massaged the tight muscles just below the ridge. Anna smiled when a little moan of relief passed through Elsa's lips, delighted that the treatment was working but also pleasantly surprised to have enduced such a sound from the captivating blonde.

Anna glided her thumbs to settle against the bridge of Elsa's nose and used short coaxing strokes to ease the nerves that fed into her brow ridge. This time Anna earned a more sensual sounding "mmmm," from Elsa. It hummed between closed lips, and although it was easy to let her mind get carried away, it also wasn't the time because Elsa was in really bad pain and Anna shouldn't be thinking about how she was in bed, touching Elsa, hovering over her, and making her moan those erotic sounds.

After twenty minutes of massage, the timpani drums at the back of Elsa's head began to quiet down and she felt like she was returning from the pain-induced limbo and back to Earth where sweet Anna was waiting for her.

Fanning lashes fluttered open and Anna was taken back to the first time Elsa had done the same thing when they first met in the hospital and those piercing sky blue eyes stole her breath. In the dark shadows of the room they looked more navy but once they met with Anna's aquamarines, Elsa found the corner of her lips slip into a thankful smile.

"Better?" Anna becalmed lightly. Her fingers slowed their circular motions and came to rest at the sides of Elsa's face, unintentionally cradling it, but the gesture was more than welcomed by the radiant blonde. Anna's slight hold felt incredibly sublime, comfort beyond anything she'd ever come to know before and knew she wouldn't after. No one could capture Elsa's heart like this. Only Anna had the power to cast her spell upon Elsa and yet fall to the blonde's bewitching charm simultaneously.

Caught up in Anna's soft gaze, Elsa again simply nodded in reply, smile tugging wider as her chest grew warmer. Instinctually Anna's thumbs caressed the dusting of pale freckles on Elsa's cheeks, losing herself for a moment as their eyes locked onto each other. The feeling was easy to pinpoint. It was the fleeting moment in time when one knew something was about to happen. When two people were this close, with this amount of electricity sparking between them, a kiss was the only thing to follow. The thought had already entered both their minds, but it was a huge step into forbidden territory. Anna wouldn't dare make a move first, she could hardly believe her crazy brain was even thinking such a thing, but the drive was so incredibly strong, it was impossible to fight it. Her eyes flicked down to Elsa's lips, exquisite rose-red curves, patiently waiting to be gifted with her seal of affection as they filled with the rush of anticipation.

Breaths turned shallow, and they shuddered into the space between them. It was inevitable, Elsa decided. With nothing left to hold her back, she raised her chin up to Anna, and held her breath as their eyes lidded closed, and lips charted a course towards each other.

"Elsa's mother is on the line, and she wants to know how she's doing."

Like a crash of cymbals Hans' voice shattered their perfect moment, mere seconds before making contact and sent Anna leaping from the bed. Her legs wobbled underneath her, but she managed to direct her gait towards the phone clutched it from Hans' outstretched hand. It was indeed Iris, and she took the call in the other room, if no other reason than Anna needed a moment to collect herself and process what the hell had almost just happened.

Hans peeked his head into the bedroom but was met with a scowl from Elsa.

"What?" he said defensively.

"Go _away_ Hans." Mad didn't even begin to describe the fire flaming off the side of her head. At least he did as she asked and left. A few minutes, later Anna returned to the room and nervously smoothed her tailored black dress pants over her thighs.

"Is-ah...there anything you want me to get you?" Anna stumbled and cleared her throat, professional guise resuming full control once again.

"I feel better now...but I have something for you. It's in my bag over here." Elsa pointed to the oversized purse on her nightstand, and Anna swallowed thickly before she returned to the side of the bed, no longer trusting her body and mind to behave that close to Elsa. Not only had they almost just kissed, but Hans almost just walked in on them. This was getting out of hand. And dangerous. Finally the rational part of Anna was thinking clearly again.

"It's the box," Elsa directed as Anna's hand swirled around in the giant fish bowl of a purse. Apparently Elsa kept her whole life in that thing. Finally, her hands found what felt like something square-shaped and Anna pulled it out to reveal a dark brown box with a beautiful purple satin ribbon tied around it. "It's chocolate," Elsa beamed, waiting for Anna to do the same, but her teal eyes had already seen the _Forever Chocolate_ logo.

"Elsa, you went to the shop?" her tone dropping in disbelief.

Sapphire orbs skipped about the room apprehensively. "Only to talk to Kristoff," Elsa replied innocently and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. At the time, she hadn't seen anything wrong with going but didn't stop to think how the whole adventure had probably thwarted Anna's treatment plan.

"Why would you go there without me?"

"Because… I needed to talk to someone besides Hans and my parents."

"And you couldn't talk to me about it?"

"Not exactly."

"Elsa. You can't just... go around doing whatever you feel like when I have a clear and specific treatment plan."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to get in the way of the plan."

"It's like sometimes you forget that I'm the professional here. I'm supposed to be here to help you." Anna chided and neglected to notice how Elsa was caving in on herself. All she ever wanted was to please her and she'd done the opposite.

"I'm sorry, Anna," Elsa said quietly.

"And there has to be trust here. Do you not trust me enough to think that I'm doing what's best for you?" hands flying wildly into the air as she glared at Elsa.

"I trust you with my life." It cut straight to Anna's core, and she immediately regretted her outburst. She was just as much to blame for what was happening between them, even though so much of it was still unspoken. Elsa might have been the one to lean in, but Anna would have fully kissed her back. She was really just mad at herself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so upset." Elsa smiled uncomfortably as Anna sat back on the edge of the bed. "I hate to say this but I'm due back at the hospital in a half an hour. Your migraine selfishly took up the whole session. Do you want me to stay until your mom can get here?"

"She can't. She's taking care of my dad today."

"She told you about his…" Anna started.

"Parkinson's. Yeah." Iris had told her over the weekend while they were shopping, and she was still digesting the news.

"So it's just Hans here then?" Elsa nodded and huffed a frustrated puff of breath that fluffed her bangs into her eyes. "I'll be right back."

Elsa stayed in the comfy bed, fixing her hair when Anna returned with an obedient Hans behind her. He looked almost intimidated by the fiery redhead's command of the room, and it made Elsa squirm with amusement.

"I don't want to sound pushy, but I can't stay longer than I'd like today, so I'm counting on you to handle this." She turned to face Hans and poked his chest with a demanding finger. Anna pulled a small note pad and pen out of her bag and shoved them at Hans who looked bewildered as she motioned for him to take notes. Again Elsa's toes curled in delight as she watched Anna put the dumbfounded man in his place. "These migraines can come back at anytime. I want you to call me if one does so I can walk you through it. Check on her every twenty minutes, but give her space. She needs rest and quiet. Keep it dark in here because the light is really irritating. Put a wastebasket next to the bed in case she gets sick."

Elsa watched her white knight spring into action and internally giggled mirthfully as Hans struggled to write down everything at Anna's authoritarian pace. She loved a woman in charge. Anna's confidence and comanding nauture only made her sexier, forcing Elsa to bite that bottom lip to suppress a moan that threatened to leap out.

"Get her whatever she wants. Make her comfortable. Do you want to watch a movie or something?" cocking her head to Elsa.

"_Beaches_ would be nice."

"Put _Beaches _on. And make sure she gets plenty of fluids. I'll call you later this afternoon to see how things are going. And if she feels hot and is running a fever, anything over 101, take her to the ER immediately."

"Why?" Hans asked with scrunch of face. He was such a simpleton sometimes, and it burned Anna to think this was the man who had been so lucky to win Elsa in the unfair game of life.

"Brain swelling, infection, heterotopic ossification." Anna rattled off the long list of complications as Hans tried to quickly figure out how to spell "heterotypic ossification". Elsa had to slap a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing but didn't find anything funny about brain swelling or infection.

"Lastly, and I want to stress this again, do NOT leave her up here by herself. Don't be in her face, but stay close enough that if she has a seizure you can get to her in time." Everyone's faces in the room fell at that warning.

"Holy shit, a seizure?" Hans gasped, looking up from his pad with a motionless pen.

"Yes, half of people with this type of injury can develop epilepsy. I don't think Elsa will but it's better to be prepared just in case." Terror swept over both Elsa and Hans' features, and she was now scared to death to be left in Hans' care, or even drive anymore for that matter.

"Every twenty minutes, got it," he replied more seriously. Anna had his full attention now and he was furiously letting that pen fly on the page as Anna spoke.

"Excellent." I'm not scheduled to come by tomorrow because we're only meeting three times a week now, but I'll try to come by if I can. At the very least, I'll give you a call."

Hans walked Anna to the door and thanked her profusely for her help while Elsa buried her head under the covers and tried to imagine the kiss playing out like it should have.

* * *

><p>After work, Anna needed to clear her mind and do something relaxing, so she jaunted over to her mom's place to take Olaf to get some ice cream. They were sitting outside enjoying the late evening warmth of what had been a rather hot day when Anna peered up from her double scoops and saw a familiar face arm in arm with someone new.<p>

It was Anna's ex, Jade, a woman whose name coincidentally described her striking green eyes. They'd dated for almost a year and Anna thought she'd found the one. But when Jade asked her for more of a commitment, Anna couldn't give it to her because she was trying to build a name for herself at the hospital that was over an hour away from Jade's apartment. It ended in broken hearts, but Anna knew it had been because of her.

"Anna?" Jade stopped at their table, and Anna had no choice but to reply even though she wanted to run and hide.

"Hi Jade. How have you been?"

"Great actually."

Those emerald orbs now held a happiness Anna had never witnessed before, and when her eyes caught the sparkling gold bands on both the ladies' fingers, she had an inkling as to why.

"Did you get married?" Anna asked, trying not to sound as blindsided as she was. She and Jade had only broken up just over a year ago, a short amount of time to move on, meet, and marry someone else.

Jade's eyes twinkled like the gems she was named for. "We did. Just a few months ago." She smiled brightly as the happy couple gazed into each other's eyes and intertwined their fingers in that way newlyweds did, still enjoying sharing that bit of news with anyone they could.

"Tell her," Jade's _perfect_ new wife urged with a playful nudge of her shoulder.

"And…" another wistful glance into each other's eyes that now had Anna's stomach turning as she waited for the woman to spit it out already. "... we're having a baby." While the two women shared a glowing grin Anna tried to stop the look of shock from overtaking her face like an explosion of confusion and disbelief.

"Wait, what? A baby?"

"Yes. Thanks to the good ol' turkey baster method. We're really excited."

The shock and surprise faded as Anna swallowed their happiness, bitterly, but she couldn't deny that they obviously were meant for each other. They were incredibly happy, radiating with overwhelming joy that made Anna's heart weep with regret. If she had been better with balancing her life, could that have been her? Could she have been the love of Jade's life and been wrapped in that euphoria of happiness that the new Mrs. Jade was now bubbling over with? It hurt to think that it could have been possible. That Anna wouldn't have to go home alone every night or tend to her family as much as she did. She was the pillar of strength for her family and patients, leaving her with no one to turn to when she needed a shoulder to cry on.

While Jade had moved on and was creating a life of her own, and a person apparently, Anna was still married to her job and didn't have many friends or someone special to call her own. She hadn't had time to date or even meet new people outside of work. Career came first, but if it continued to be her top priority, she would miss out on so much more in the end.

Despite the bitter-sweet sting of the news, Anna forced a smile and let the kind and exuberant side of herself that she was known for shine through like the breaking rays of the sun after a storm had cleared.

"That's really wonderful. I'm so happy for you...both." The words tasted awful as they came out, but she pressed on.

"Good to see you again, Anna. You too, Olaf." Their giggles began to fade as Jade and her new wife continued their stroll down the street, leaving Anna in a puddle of her own self-pity.

"Don't worry, Anna. I never liked her anyways. You deserve someone better," Olaf comforted with a pat on his older sister's back.

Someone better. Did she really deserve that? Here fate was knocking at her door with an angel sent from Heaven who positively adored her, and again she held herself back because of work, in a slightly different way, but she was reserved just the same. Ending her work with Elsa was the only there could ever be anything beyond the nurse-patient relationship but Anna couldn't, probably wouldn't, let go of that need to help Elsa. Ending her work with Elsa was the only option to be with her but Anna couldn't, probably wouldn't, let go of that need to help Elsa. Getting her memories back, making her a success story in whatever way possible. At the end of the day, it was more important to her than her own happiness. She was a martyr to her own profession.

Not even ice cream could make her feel better as she scraped the last of her chocolate brownie chunk from the bottom of her paper cup, tossing the spoon into it like she'd thrown in the towel to the constant battle of personal versus professional Anna.

That night, Anna lay awake as she stared at the bright glowing screen of her computer, trying to work herself into a weary-enough state so that her mind would turn off and she could get some sleep. Mindlessly hammering through notes usually did that for her, but not when she was writing up her last visit with Elsa. The one where she'd almost allowed herself to taste those forbidden lips she'd begun to crave.

The cursor blinked at the end of the measly few sentences she'd written as the small square photo of Elsa's file drew her eyes to the upper right hand corner of the screen. Anna had taken the photo with her phone the week Elsa came home from the hospital. Traces of the cuts and scratches still marred her face but those eyes reached out through the screen and pulled Anna into their endless ocean of blue.

It hurt to look at Elsa now because she was the one thing her heart had always longed for deep down that she could never have. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, let herself imagine what it would be like if things were different.

Elsa was gorgeous, but it was more than physical lust or the allure of sexual attraction that her mind escaped to. It was simpler than that. Just someone to curl up on the couch and watch a movie with while they nuzzled their feet like nesting dolls and stole tender kisses without a care in the world. Someone to come home to at the end of a long day, to love her and hold her, eradicating every worry with a flash of that smile and warm embrace. Someone to hold hands with and create a sense of home just from the way they fit together so perfectly, so effortlessly like they were always meant to be. And how she so very much wanted that someone to be Elsa because the woman enkindled a fire deep within her that only grew stronger each minute they were together. Elsa was easy to be around, and they complimented each other so beautifully. It burned from the inside out to think about it, leaving a gaping hole she yearned to fill with a love she'd never known but always dreamed of.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Anna was on her way to Elsa's, stuck in traffic as she listened to the bantering on early morning talk radio, just background noise acting as a soundtrack to the myriad of thoughts running through her mind at a million miles an hour thanks to her second cup of coffee. Made just the way she liked it with extra milk so it went down smooth, Anna gingerly sipped the steaming hot beverage as she pondered what to do with Elsa for their session.<p>

She'd had almost two whole days plus an entire weekend with Hans on her own, so naturally she'd check in with her about that in addition to the migraines. Hearing about Hans didn't sound like the best way to start off her day, but it was part her job so she'd suck it up just for Elsa. They also had some upcoming neurological tests to complete at the hospital, and she could talk with Elsa about that, anything to keep the time structured, and prevent those wandering eyes from finding each other in another heated exchange like they so often did.

While Anna continued to brave the morning commute, Elsa was at the breakfast table trying to stomach the burnt pancakes Hans had attempted to make. A smoky black-rimmed stack of rock hard disks stared back at her as she nibbled her bottom lip and mused about the conversation she'd had with Kristoff a few days ago. It had been two days since they'd almost kissed and she was still debating whether or not to tell Anna how she felt. On the one hand she wanted to respect Anna as a professional and not do anything to jeopardize her job but at the same time her actions had been returned, and the feelings that were bottled up inside her like a shaken can of soda were ready to burst out in an explosion of carbonated sugar rain if she didn't act soon.

Even if she wanted to tell Anna how she felt, Hans or her mother were always around, robbing Elsa of the privacy she needed to express her new homoerotic love for someone who wasn't her fiancé.

Her eyes shifted up from the sad, brittle attempt at breakfast on her plate and cast her gaze beyond Hans' shoulder, an idea sparking as they caught the key rack against the wall. Every time things had moved into the intimate realm with her and Anna, it had usually been while they were away from the house. With no outings scheduled for today's session, Elsa's attention went back to the Tesla. She had planned on showing it to Anna, but what was the fun in that when Elsa could let her drive it? That got them away from the house and gave them some much needed time alone for Elsa to finally get this huge secret off her chest.

Elsa spent the entire time between breakfast and their usual 10am session getting ready, almost like she was going on a date; it was that intense. After fretting over her hair and makeup, durring which she decided a flattering shade of violet swept across her lids would bring out her flawless sapphire eyes rather nicely, Elsa tried on half her closet before settling on a simple fitted maxi dress.

_What does one wear to tell their nurse they're madly in love with them?_

Something that was sexy yet not aggressively racy and wouldn't make Hans question her outfit. Her golden blonde hair was smoothed into loose flowing curls with just enough volume to give her some edge or "va-va-voom_" _as she'd once heard Anna refer to it.

Anna arrived with the same chipper knock at the door, and after she was done putting her eyes back in their sockets from seeing Elsa's goddess-like appearance, she proceeded with their mundane schedule of assessment and memory recall exercises after catching up on Elsa's weekend and migraines. All of which Elsa gave her full attention to as they sat for over an hour at the small table in the den. With an hour left, Elsa eyed the clock and decided it was now or never as Anna was obviously trying to hide behind her work to avoid having a discussion about how they'd almost ended up lip-locked the other day.

"Anna?"

"Yeah?" The redhead was busy scoring some of Elsa's tests and didn't look up. A sheet of copper hair acted like a curtain between them, but Elsa dipped down her head to connect with those mesmerizing teal eyes.

"I have a surprise for you. Something that I thought would be a nice break from all this work."

"Sure, what did you have in mind?" Anna still didn't look up so Elsa slipped the papers out from her hands with the most mischievous of grins dancing across her lips.

"Come with me."

Before she could protest, Elsa grabbed Anna's hand, yanked her up from her chair, and out to the garage. Anna had no idea what Elsa had up her sleeve but let out a soft whine when she lead her past the row of luxury cars lining the inside of the garage. When they got to Elsa's car down on the end, she held out her hands as if to say _ta-dah _and watched as Anna's mouth fell open right on cue.

"This is a Tesla! I've never even seen one up close before!" The urge to touch it was intense but it was so flawless Anna didn't dare, just letting her eyes savor the car's craftsmanship instead.

"Well now you can. Here." Elsa dangled the little black fob in front of Anna's face, but her hands shot up submissively, and she quickly backed away.

"No, I couldn't." Anna was simply adorable when she was trying to be modest. And now Elsa was in charge as she capered after Anna with a catlike finesse. _Stop looking at her hips! Why do they have to sway like that?_

"Yes, you can. It's my car, and I think you'd really enjoy a test drive." _And I need to tell you how crazy I am about you, so get in already. _"You said you liked your Prius because it felt like a spaceship, and I thought you'd really enjoy this."

"Enjoy doesn't do this justice." Anna's eyes followed the smooth lines of the car's exterior and let temptation talk her into it." Just once around the block."

"No way. You've had me doing assessment for two hours. We deserve a little fun. We're going to the beach, the long way." It wasn't a suggestion; it was a command as Elsa tossed Anna the fob and elegantly climbed into the passenger seat.

* * *

><p>"It's so bright today. The water looks beautiful. Cold but beautiful." Anna shivered as she watched a few surfers take to the waves.<p>

Whitecaps churned in the distance while frothy cyanic waves sloshed onto the shore. It was like looking out into a high-def screen saver, providing the perfect backdrop for such an occasion.

"Oh look! Dolphins!" Elsa pointed to the pod and waited for Anna to spot their dorsal fins skipping across the bay. _Seriously, could it get any better? _"And a baby one. Awww," she said, a warm smile gracing her face.

Anna hardly ever had time to go to the beach. It was such a shame that she lived only a half hour away yet never took advantage of it. "I can't believe you live down the street from this. I'd be here all the time."

The wistful glimmer in Anna's eyes was entrancing, and Elsa could feel the moment materializing perfectly, the stars aligning just as she'd hoped to profess her feelings to Anna.

"We're here now." Blue eyes left the serenity of the crashing waves and searched for the haven of Anna's dazzling pools of teal, tension rising with each breath as the car swelled with that wonderful warmth only being this close could produce.

"Yes, we are." Anna could feel Elsa's eyes on her, exploring and roaming over every supple curve and slope, that fire deep within the depths of her stomach swirling to life.

This was it. The moment when professional Anna slipped away and real Anna began to emerge again before the blonde's very eyes. And Elsa knew she had to tell Anna now before the opportunity faded. The words she'd practiced countless times that morning jumbled in her head like falling Jenga blocks as her eyes lost themselves in tendrils of the most vibrant cooper locks the world had ever known, and she found herself leaning closer, pulled by an uncontrollable force far stronger than her own.

"Anna..." she breathed helplessly. The name hung in the air like a lofting cloud, dispersing and freeing as they narrowed the distance between them, inches shrinking to centimeters until Elsa's eyes fluttered closed, and she stopped moving with a sudden, paralyzing last minute jolt of fear. Both now caught in hesitation, Anna's heart took over with a roar, boosting her forward as her lips gently found their place between Elsa's. This time it wasn't a dream. Not even a wish. Fantasy had become reality, and that first kiss was coalescing all those hidden feelings from the past few weeks.

They held that first contact for what felt like ages before Elsa opened her mouth just a bit more and adjusted against Anna's, taking that candied bottom lip between her own. They were so astonishingly soft and precious, fitting perfectly together like a lock and key that had waited a lifetime to be united as one.

Daring fingers threaded into stalks of blizzard white hair, pressing back more firmly with her reddening lips as they anointed with Elsa's. It was the sweet divinity of addiction laced with terror as they both knew there was no going back from this point. They'd been skirting the line for quite some time and had now officially crossed it by solidifying their desire for another.

Anna may have made the first move, but Elsa was now in control, letting this evolve from innocent into a bubbling of stew of pent up emotion that was brimming with want. A want to be closer. A want to be something more. And a want for this to be right. Locked together in a beautiful exchange felt right, so right. But everything else was wrong.

A brush of their tongues caused Anna to pull back like she'd been shocked by reality. Everything came rushing back, and although she wanted nothing more to keep kissing, they needed to stop and think about what this actually meant. Elsa had gotten so carried away she'd forgotten to even give Anna her big speech and skipped right to kissing.

"I'm sorry," Elsa quavered, touching her hand to her lips as if they'd been burnt.

"Don't be sorry. This isn't your fault," Anna insisted and adjusted herself in the seat to face the steering wheel. Elsa's mouth hung open like she wanted to say something but nothing came out. "I have to get you back. We've been gone way too long." Elsa blinked a few times, frozen with emotion, before finally nodding. That wonderful moment had come and gone so quickly that she still wasn't exactly sure what was happening.

Anna pumped the brake and illuminated the car. Having not gone far, they were home in a few minutes, the mood from the beach traveling with them. When Anna parked the car in the driveway, Elsa's elated face saddened and she cursed herself for rushing things. They both went to unbuckle their seat belts, and their eyes met yet again, sky blue searching deep aqua for any signs of reciprocation.

"I shouldn't...I shouldn't have-"

"Stop. You didn't do anything," Anna insisted and cupped Elsa's flushed cheek with a gentle hand. "You are beautiful and amazing… and an extremely good kisser. I kissed you back because I wanted to, not because you forced me to." The confirmation that the kiss had been mutual sent Elsa's lips back into a shy smile and she leaned into Anna's touch, savoring the solace it provided. It was cozy and safe, and Anna was the only person besides Kristoff who was able to make her feel that way. Only Kristoff couldn't send a pulsating current of arousal and delectation swirling up the length of her slight body. Just Anna. Beautiful, smart, warmhearted Anna.

"I-" Anna began but shuddered with fright when she spotted Hans on the second floor squinting at them as he tried to make out what they were doing through the thick tint of the car's windows. Her hand recoiled so fast it made Elsa gasp with surprise.

"He's watching us. I'd better go." Elsa turned and looked out the window to find Hans with his arms crossed and a look of confusion. Anna quickly handed off the fob to Elsa in a panic and jumped out as fast as she could. "I'll see you in two days," she said softly and let an easy smile being out the hint of a dimple on one of her cheeks that made Elsa fall in love with her just a smidgen more.

Elsa watched heavy-hearted as Anna drove off and headed back to the hospital, grinning to herself as she slipped back into the house. She was sad that Anna was gone and they wouldn't see each other again for two agonizingly long days but she now had that fluttering thrill leftover from their kiss to keep her occupied until then.

"How was your session?" Hans asked as he trotted down the stairs with a boisterous grin.

"Good."

His brows quirked at her apparent good mood and how she seemed to be a little hazy. Hazy because she had her head up in the clouds after her _outing _with Anna. "Anna liked the car?"

"Mhmm."

"You okay?"

"I'm feeling a little dizzy. I'm just going to go lay down for a while." She passed Hans and made her way up the stairs, trying to keep the pace slow and play along with the line she'd fed him.

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

If only Hans new his precious fiancée was hopelessly lovestruck, lost in a sea of bliss where she coveted only Anna. That merciful redhead who had Elsa's heart cantering double-time to love's bewitching melody. Elsa made her way to the bedroom and slipped off her shoes before crawling on top of the duvet. As her cheeks brushed against her pillow, they suffused with a glorious pink that only love could bring out. Her eyes slipped closed as she smiled to herself, replaying that kiss over and over until it faded into a dream and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Finally getting to the Elsanna chapters. Almost 500 followers in two months. Holy cow! Thanks to everything reading andor reviewing this story :) I work hard for all you lovely people and you just give the love right back. Happy Holidays to those who are celebrating! Thank you to my beta Elsanna-is-the-law, and Let-it-geaux for some extra help on this chapter. _


	10. Chapter 10

Toss, turn, toss, turn. Get a drink of water, maybe a snack. Toss, turn, toss, turn. So was the rhythm of Anna's night. Head jumbled full with anxious thoughts about her and Elsa and the bazillion obstacles in their way; Hans, her parents, Elsa's parents, her job, Jade, Elsa, Elsa, Elsa. Always coming back to Elsa. Why did falling in love have to feel like such torture? Falling in love sometimes felt like falling, clinging to what one knew or letting go all together so that fate could be embraced in its entirety.

As amazing as their kiss had been, it only amplified her dilemma because now Anna wanted to be with Elsa even more, though want was quickly becoming need. Every song on the radio was now about them, either Elsa singing to her or Anna singing to Elsa or just a wonderful ballad about both of them. She was _that_ in love.

When she first got home she felt like she was walking on air, dizzy with lust and drunk with love. That was until she got a voicemail from her mom asking how work was going and if she was "keeping her eye on the prize and away from certain patients." A covert reminder to be a nurse first and anything else second. _Eye on the prize,_ Anna mused. What exactly was _the prize_? She was already the best nurse in her unit at the hospital. Was her mother not going to be happy until she was the hospital director as well? Acclamations and success weren't the most important things in life, and real love was hard to find, especially in LA. Especially for Anna.

Anna heaved a restless sigh as she settled against her pillow. She understood that her mother just wanted better for her. She didn't want her to end up like her- pregnant at 19 and abandoned by the person she thought was the love of her life two years later. She had to work two jobs and stand in the unemployment line several times with a precocious redhead attached to her bouncing hip, just trying to get by.

As badly as Anna wanted Elsa, and everything that came with a meaningful relationship, she couldn't disobey her mother and throw everything away. She'd also taken an oath as a nurse to first do no harm. Abandoning Elsa was harmful and at heart, Anna was the girl who always complied for the good of those she loved.

* * *

><p>April showers had brought early May flowers, and the bright yellow tulips along Hans and Elsa's curvilinearly-challenged home were in full bloom. Anna rang the doorbell this time and drew in a pensive breath as she aligned her mind with her old mantra, <em>help Elsa.<em>

The door cracked open and Elsa appeared, doe-eyed and giggly, like a twitterpated girl lost in the throes of new love. Her normally pale skin had a shimmering glow to it, bursting with color in all its radiantglory. And she wasn't holding back on her flirting either, puffing out her burgeoning chest and fluffing back feathery reams of white gold bangs that tapered seamlessly into an impossibly long braid.

"Morning," Elsa husked with a bat of her sweeping lashes, surprising Anna, but igniting that restless ember she was desperately trying to extinguish.

Anna cautiously stepped inside and noticed that the house was strangely quiet. Too quiet.

"Where is everyone?"

"Oh, I told my mom Hans was here and I told Hans my mom was here. Therefore, we have the place to ourselves." Elsa coyly sauntered up to Anna, biting her lip as she tried to hold back another flirtatious giggle.

"Elsa, what are you doing?" As if Elsa thought they could just stay home and make out all day now that she had gotten everyone out of the house. Now that they'd _kissed_.

"What do you mean?" Elsa replied innocently enough. And of course that's what Elsa had been thinking. Not to that extreme but she _was_ trying to arrange some time alone to recreate that fantastic bliss still humming through her body from two days prior.

"We have like three imaging tests at the hospital and a lot of work to get done today," Anna responded earnestly.

"I just thought…" Words refused to come as Elsa felt the bitter sting of possible rejection prick her heart. Apparently she'd misread something because _this_ Anna didn't look like the woman she had come to know at all. She was distant and tactless and seemed downright irritated with Elsa, and it was making it difficult for the blonde to even breathe. "I'll get my things then."

Elsa's platinum plait disappeared as she fled down the hallway towards the living room when Anna got this sinking feeling in her gut that felt like the weight of an anvil. There were too many things to worry about now. Her job and Hans for starters. She didn't know if he'd seen them or not, but if they carried on like they had been, he would find out in no time. So today, she made a promise to herself keep her mind on nursing and not kissing, hoping it would work this time. Maybe Elsa would just stop, and Anna's throbbing ache to be with her would go away. If she tried hard enough, she wouldn't see Elsa that way anymore, and everything would be fine. Just like her mother said.

* * *

><p>Elsa stared past the reflection of her forlorn face and watched the buildings pass by on their way to the hospital, remembering the better times she'd spent in Anna's car. Whatever was going on with Anna was cutting Elsa deeply, keeping her head turned towards the window so that Anna couldn't see the hurt pouring over her features.<p>

First up was an EEG, where something resembling a swim cap covered in electrodes was strapped over Elsa's head, which was not only slightly humiliating but the last thing she wanted to be sporting in front Anna. Even if something was askew with them today, she'd rather be with Anna than Hans any day.

Next was a classic blood test, and Anna used the time to run to her office, leaving Elsa alone with her thoughts and dreading the upcoming MRI. She'd never been fond of small spaces, and the idea of being crammed into a scanner like a sardine was making her skin crawl.

Anna returned, and it was then time for Elsa to change into a hideous green hospital gown and make their way to the MRI scan. The room that held the giant donut-shaped machine was surprisingly relaxing. A few of the ceiling panels had been replaced with a translucent imagine of a white sand beach, complete with a Caribbean sky and towering palm tree, casting the room in a tranquil haze of soft tropical blues and greens. So real that Anna could taste the salty rim of margarita on her lips as she gazed up at the scene. While she was still acting oddly reserved, the mood of the room brought a smile to her face, though it wasn't enough to rid Elsa of the nerves rattling through her slight frame.

Elsa had only ever an MRI and other imagining test done when she was unconscious in the ER, now finding her breath shallowing, and her palms were suddenly sweaty as she stared at the growling machine.

The tech gave Elsa a brief demonstration of how the machine worked, explaining all the various noises it made that sounded an awful lot like an alarm system specifically designed for Armageddon. Ear-piercing buzzes and beeps rang throughout the room as adrenaline pumped through Elsa's veins. Willowy pale arms wrapped around herself as she began to back away from the machine. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, the tech showed her the modern version of a medieval knight's helmet that closed around her head, and Elsa's fear took over with a gripping panic.

"I can't do this. I get really claustrophobic, and just looking at it scares me," she panted fearfully, embracing herself so tightly that she could feel her fingernails pricking at the soft flesh of her arm.

"It looks scary, but it's really not. It's just a big camera." The tech was talking to Elsa like she was five-years-old, and that just made her really mad in addition to the crippling fear.

"But it's so long; I don't think I could make it 45 minutes in there."

"Elsa, they're scanning for epilepsy amongst other things, and we really need to know. You gotta do this." Anna's voice was gentle, but not in the way Elsa had come to love. It had that distant undertone people who were paid to care for someone had, tying to exhibit some sort of compassion without the context of a real relationship. Like a nurse.

The fear subsided, and Elsa now just felt hurt by whatever was going on between her and Anna. And she wanted nothing more to run out of the room, away from Anna and the ridiculous machine. She'd backed herself to the other side of the room, and Anna was still standing with the tech when she knew she should have been with Elsa.

But she couldn't do it. She couldn't figure out how to control her feelings around Elsa and be a nurse at the same time. The more she bottled them up, the worse things became. And now here she was, still trying to hold on to whatever bit of professionalism she had and completely disregarding Elsa and her impending panic attack. This wasn't even how a nurse should act, and she chided herself for losing control over everything. She knew what the right thing to do was so she let the icy veneer she'd been putting up all morning melt for just a minute and walked over to a shaking Elsa on the other side of the room.

The caring smile on Anna's face should have brightened Elsa's, but it didn't. It only reminded her of the confusion the past 48 hours had created. This time two days ago they were sharing a kiss they'd been dying to have, and now they were like two strangers.

Anna tried again and unraveled Elsa's rigid arms from around her torso, smoothing her fingers over the tops of Elsa's hands.

"Will it help if I hold your hand while you're in there?"

"It might but...I know you don't want to do that."

"Of course I do, or I wouldn't have offered."

"Why? Why do you want to? Why do you even care about me?"

"Because I do." It was the best answer Anna could give her in the present place and company. Her teal eyes stared unwaveringly into Elsa's, with such conviction and emotion that it made Elsa feel that burn in her chest again. That glimmer of attraction, a pull to each other, was still there. The same eyes that had met Elsa's when they fluttered open after their kiss. Something was off with Anna, but she unquestionably felt deeply for Elsa, and they could both feel it.

"Take my hand; we can do this together." Anna turned and took a small step forward, giving Elsa's arm a gentle tug for her to follow. Cobalt eyes shifted back and forth between Anna and the MRI machine, and after swallowing back her trepidation, she timidly followed Anna to the exam table where the tech was waiting with a set of headphones.

"These are for you to listen to music or talk radio, anything you want during the scan."

Elsa forced a tremulous smile to be polite, but music really wasn't going to help her. The tech handed her a small remote for the music stations and positioned the headphones over Elsa's ears, silencing her from the world as classical music became her soundtrack to the exam. They both helped Elsa lie back on the table, and it tore at Anna when she squeezed her eyes shut, chest heaving slightly, as the blonde tried to keep herself from bolting out of the room. Despite her eyes being violently shut, Elsa could still sense her freedom shrinking when the tech closed the head coil device around her, and she could feel her breath ghosting against it.

The table retracted into the center of the open hole of the scanner, leaving only the very end of Elsa's hand available for Anna to comfort. Forty-five minutes was a long time, but she was willing to sit and hold Elsa's hand through the entire thing if she had to. A growl from the machine blasted over the fervent violins blaring in Elsa's headphones, and she turned the volume up until it was painfully loud. She still had her face wound tight, teeth gritted, and chest pounding like thunder until she felt the warm caress of Anna's hands.

After a few minutes, Elsa got used to the random sounds in the background, and let her focus drift from the music to the lazy patterns Anna was tracing on the palm of her hand. Her fingers were exceptionally soft, feather light, and varying from tender kneads to sweeping elliptical with just the pads of her thumbs, and it was infinitely soothing. It was like Anna was trying to explore and memorize every inch of the porcelain skin, so perfectly flawless and kissably soft.

Every now and then, Anna's strokes and squeezes matched the smooth harmony of the string section wafting over the headphones. Sometimes the touch burned because Elsa knew how strongly she felt for Anna and feared that the stars would never align themselves so that they could be together. Other times, it tickled and that made them both bubble with laughter when Elsa would flinch in response.

Another tech came by halfway through the exam, and gave Anna a pair of headphones when they saw she was trying to cover her ear by pressing it against her shoulder in an attempt to escape the sounds of the machine. Ironically her headset was already pre-tuned to soft rock, and a random love song from what Anna guessed was the 80s was already playing when she put them on. After hearing some of the lyrics, she remembered it was Bryan Adams.

_Please forgive me, I can't stop loving you_

_Don't deny me, this pain I'm going through_

_Please forgive me, if I need you like I do_

_Seriously?! _Anna said to herself but refused to change the station. It never failed. Every time she tried to be a good nurse her heart took over, whether she liked it or not. Her eyes flicked down to the slender fingers securely curved around her hand, and she admired how they were so feminine and dainty, how they'd felt so good against her cheeks when they finally kissed. Lost in the song, Anna had stopped circling over the top of Elsa's hand, and the blonde gave a quick two-beat squeeze like she was asking for more. Light umber freckles were bathed in a flush of pink as Anna internally giggled at the gesture.

If she felt this way about Elsa after only knowing her for a relatively short amount of time, she could only imagine how she'd feel being in an actual relationship with her. But things were only getting more precarious. Hans was hardly any help, and Elsa hadn't recovered any memories beyond the four-month jump back at UCLA. And the repercussions from the head trauma were still cropping up. There wasn't anyone else who could give Elsa this kind of care, and she just refused to let go of that, embracing that all too familiar martyrdom she brought upon herself.

When the imaging finally ended, Elsa jumped off the table as soon as they rolled it out. Done for the day, they walked silently back to Anna's car and began to snake their way out of the parking garage when Anna got a call about a burst pipe at her apartment.

"I signed a release for maintenance to enter when I'm not there. Oh, I see. I'll get there as soon as I can." Anna ended the call and made a U-turn at the intersection while Elsa knitted her brows at the change in course.

"Everything okay?" Elsa asked quietly, still baffled by how the day had unfolded.

"Yeah. I hope you don't mind, but I have to stop by my apartment. A pipe in my bathroom burst, and my closet is on the other side of the wall so I have to move everything out of it before it gets ruined."

"I don't mind." Elsa had to admit that seeing Anna's apartment wasn't an opportunity she was about to turn down.

The car turned left off of Melrose, pulled up to a light blue three-story apartment building, and drove into the underground parking garage. Elsa's eyes were wide to the whites as she studied every detail of the building and entered Anna's world. _This is where Anna comes home at night. This is where Anna gets her mail. This is where Anna parks her car._ The apartment was also not far from the hospital, and, little by little, the mystery that was _Anna_ began to unravel itself.

An open white wood door and a cheery welcome mat with silhouetted flowers on it greeted them along with buckets of tools Anna assumed belonged to maintenance. The place was small yet suitable for a single occupant and had a welcoming feeling to it. Photos of Olaf and her mom were scattered throughout in perfectly positioned matching frames. A cream colored sectional took up most of the living room, and Elsa smiled to herself when she spotted a Loma Linda throw flopped over the back. Everything was bright and lively and seemed to exemplify a place that Anna would call home.

Maintenance had slapped a temporary patch on the pipe and said they would be back the next day to finish repairs. Anna quickly got to work on moving her stuff out of her closet, and Elsa offered to help, but Anna politely declined. Remaining professional at the hospital was hard enough, but in her home it was nearly impossible. She could feel herself giving in every time she even looked at Elsa's sullen eyes.

The closet was finally cleared, and Anna made her way to the kitchen as Elsa did her best impression of a wallflower. Anna reached into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water from the bottom shelf. She shut the door and glanced at the calendar affixed to the freezer with magnets from the various cities she'd been to for medical conferences while Elsa continued to wait patiently near the front door, constrained and reserved with her hands demurely clasped in front of her. Waiting for Anna to notice her.

The silence was unbearable, and it had been following them all day. To say there was an elephant in the room was an understatement. They kissed, passionately, uninhibitedly, and fully. And it was _beautiful_. So what was happening? Anna had been wound so tight, and her face had been so completely unreadable that Elsa was beginning to feel hurt at the thought of Anna's mood being an outright rejection of her feelings. And if that was so, there was no better time to get it out in the open like the present.

"Anna," Elsa said evenly as she ambled across the plush beige carpet and onto the wood floor of the kitchen. "Are we going to talk about this? Or just keep pretending like it never happened?"

Anna finished sipping on her water and set it down on the counter. "Elsa…" she started but trailed off into thought, hands on hips as she glanced up at Elsa, and it looked like she would break at any second. For a woman who was never short on words, Anna was utterly tongue-tied, conflicted and grappling with the stir of emotions that had erupted from that kiss. That wonderful, exquisite kiss that she couldn't get out of her mind.

Elsa nodded, guessing that what Anna was thinking was just too painful to say out loud. Either that or she was waging a moral battle in her head, but Elsa had no way of knowing. With a steady and sure breath, she gathered her confidence and resumed her strides further into the kitchen, Anna's teal eyes widening with each step closer.

"Anna." The redhead said nothing, but looked straight at Elsa with that agonizing weight of the world bearing down her shoulders. A strange smile came over Elsa, and Anna swore she heard the hum of a chuckle float out of Elsa's throat. "You're fired."

Copper hair swished as Anna's head jerked in confusion. "Wait, what?"

The blonde took another step forward, smiling even more sanguinely as her posture relaxed.

"I said you're fired."

"I heard you. Why do you look so happy about it?" Anna spat back, perplexed as hell as to what was going on.

"I may have hit my head, but I'm not that daft. What's standing between us is you being my nurse, correct?" Anna just quizzically nodded, strawberry locks bouncing in time. "Well now I'm removing the problem. If I'm not your patient then there's nothing stopping us. You don't have to choose between being professional and following your heart. I couldn't do that to you." Elsa's wedged heels were now just a few feet from Anna.

"A problem this convoluted is not so easily solved." Worry clouded Anna's eyes, and it tore at Elsa's heart.

"Then just tell me one thing." A final step closed the gap between them, and for the first time Anna realized that Elsa was a good few inches taller than her, especially in heels. "When we kissed, did you like it? Did it mean anything to you?"

"Of course it did."

"Because the way I feel, I can't go on like this. I've thought about it, a lot. I haven't slept in days. Then it finally occurred to me. This whole time I've been reluctant to act on my feelings because I didn't want to put you in that position, but I also needed you to help me. I can't regain my memories without you. But the truth is...I'm in love with you. And that sabotages everything unless I let go of something. I can't have you as a nurse because I want something more. And if I can't have something more, I don't want anything at all."

"What exactly are you saying?"

"I only want you. And I'll do whatever I have to; make whatever sacrifice necessary to make that possible."

"Elsa, you'd be throwing your life away. I could have you reassigned to someone else, but you're not going to make any progress. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I _am _that good. And I can't do that to you. I can't do that to your family."

"Then what do we do? There isn't going to be a day that you come to my house that I'm not going to want to touch you, kiss you, be more with you. And also, we're not in a hospital environment. Who on Earth is going to report you if they can't see you? And I'm the patient, shouldn't I have a say?"

"It doesn't work like that, Elsa."

"Then I can't have you as my nurse any longer, Anna. I'm in love with you. Don't you see?" She pressed.

"We don't even know what would come of this. So you fire me. We get together, and if it doesn't work out, you're the one who loses. You'll have nothing to return to."

"I don't have anything to return to either way." Anna frowned at the statement.

"I don't particularly like my life right now, and you're the only good thing in it."

"What about Hans?"

"I don't love him! I could _never_ love him. I want to love you."

"And what happens when you start to remember him, your wedding?"

"If I remember him, it doesn't mean I forget you. My heart races for _you_. My body yearns for _you_. My light, my hopes, my desires... are all you. _Only_ you."

And like the last pebble that gives way before a landslide, Anna gave into the avalanche of emotions she'd been holding back. She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't dismiss her feelings for one more second and live in isolation any longer.

"Both," Anna blurted.

"Both what?"

"There's no other way than to be both. I'll continue to work with you, get whatever memories we can back...and take it slow."

"You and me take it slow?" A pointed finger waggled between them.

Anna's eyes werebrimming with conviction, and it was the look of confirmation Elsa had been waiting for. "I can't fight this anymore, and I'm not strong enough to. I don't _want_ to."

"Does this mean you...you…" Searching Anna's eyes, her own glinting with hope.

"I'm in love with you too."

Before she could get another word out, Elsa pressed her lips against Anna's, smiling gratefully into the kiss as they let their worries crumble around them. There were risks; that was for sure. But there was also so much more to gain. So many places they could take their love. And although Anna wanted to help Elsa resume the life she had, she couldn't deny that she was leading her down a path to misery, and that made two of them. She told Elsa she could make a new life of her own. But what if the universe was trying to do that for both of them? Who was she to deprive herself of a happiness neither of them had known but undoubtedly deserved?

All that was soon forgotten at the touch of Elsa's lips, soft like velvet and smooth like silk.

"This okay?"

"More than. Don't stop," Anna huffed and lightly pushed Elsa against the fridge in the heat of passion as they happily kissed freely. Hands tangled in cinnamon locks, and Anna cupped Elsa's flushed cheeks. They roused the fire swirling within, and soon, tender kisses became open-mouthed expressions of a hungering new love. Anna lightly let her tongue slip between Elsa's lips, finding its eager mate and playfully teasing it with her own. It was strange because they couldn't stop smiling. They'd been holding on to so much fear, and now they could embrace the burn that had them suffering in silence.

"This is what I want. Just you."

"Just us," Elsa breathed in reply.

In the privacy of her own home, Anna allowed passion to take over and let her hands explore the swooping curves of Elsa's back, desperate fingers thirsting for something.

Elsa followed in suit but was more daring, pulling Anna's blouse out from her sleek charcoal slacks and dancing her fingers across taut abs. Her thumbs followed the lines of every beautiful curve, loving the supple body she'd yearned to caress, to love.

Anna's mouth broke away from the smoldering heat of their lips, kissed along Elsa's jawline, and nuzzled herself along the slant of her neck. Wet heat ripped like fire in a lazy line along the blonde's booming pulse point, head tilting and granting Anna full permission to explore and taste her in any way she wished.

Things were moving a bit fast, but there was so much pent up energy that they had to burn it off until it resumed a controllable level. Slender fingers skipped across Anna's ribcage and slinked up the S of her spine.

"Anna…"

"Elsa… I'm sorry." A beat passed, but neither of them stopped their hands from savoring each other. "I'm sorry about this morning, and all the other times I made you feel like I didn't care about you. I was just... confused."

Elsa's lips worked around the curve of Anna's jaw and made a path back to those warm blushing lips of hers.

"It's okay." Elsa whispered as she pressed a kiss to the corner of Anna's lips. "I was confused too, but this feels so right." Elsa brushed her lips against Anna's, but the redhead kept feeling the need to apologize.

"It's just… I was… I didn't mean to-" Anna tried.

"Don't talk. Just kiss."

* * *

><p>Anna pulled into the driveway over an hour later, and when Hans hadn't been spotted at his usual lookout, Elsa assumed he'd decided to work late again, making her move as soon as Anna put the car in park. She couldn't stop kissing Anna, and they were quickly learning just how addicted they were to the sweet taste of each other's lips.<p>

"So, how do we do this?" Elsa asked as their fingers unwove from their locked position over the center console. If they weren't kissing, they had to be touching whenever the opportunity presented itself and as soon as Anna's hand had left the shifter, it had immediately re-found Elsa's.

Anna turned into her seat and met Elsa's convivial blue eyes before adopting a more genuine tone. "When I'm here, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we're working. Everything else is fair game, I guess. I think for now we should just… see how things go. See if any memories come back before we make any rash decisions. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"I don't either," Elsa replied with a shake of her head. "But I'm tired of doing what everyone else tells me to do. I'm tired of being who they want me to be." Behind the mirthfulness in Elsa's eyes was a glint of sorrow; and again, Anna affirmed to herself that continuing on as things had been would only lead Elsa to further misery.

"Tuesday, Thursday, and weekends, you can be whoever you want to be with me," Anna lightened with a chuckle and a peck to the tip of Elsa's nose.

"So then we can go out Saturday night?" Elsa chirped excitedly.

"Um, uh, yeah. I guess." A giggle fluttered from the redhead's throat. "I never realized how forthright you were," her hand tightening around the blonde's.

"I am when I _want_ something," a sultry smirk illuminated Elsa's face, feeling more like her true self. "Something simple. Drinks, dancing, movies. To be perfectly honest, I'd weave a basket to just be with you."

Anna giggled again, more girly this time. "That won't be necessary. Do you salsa?"

"Dance?" Blonde brows quirked in time with a tilt of Elsa's head.

"No, the chip dip. Of course dance, silly."

"No, but I picked up _Just Dance_ pretty quickly," Elsa boasted proudly with a confident shrug of her shoulder.

"I know this great salsa place in Hollywood, and we can get dinner, food's amazing. And you don't have to be really good, but I'll teach you how to dance." Elsa mulled the idea over, and her lips began to curl into an enlivened smile. "It'll be fun. I promise," Anna continued despite the return of impatient kisses being pressed to the corner of her mouth by the antsy blonde. "We can wear something sexy and not have to pretend or behave around each other. And there's still so much about me you don't know."

Elsa pulled away for the briefest of seconds and flashed Anna a huge grin of confirmation.

"Dinner (kiss). Salsa (kiss). It's a date (longer kiss)."

"You can't drive. How am I going to pick you up without the warden finding out?"

"He's having dinner with his family that night, and I'll just opt out of it." There were more details than just that to work out, but with her head swimming in rapture, Elsa pushed all other thoughts to the back of her mind.

"Friday work. Saturday fun," Anna reminded with a stern finger. "This is by far the craziest thing I've ever done… but already the best I've felt in years."

"Me too."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to my beta, Elsanna-is-the-law and also to Let-it-go for her help as well. This is my last update for 2014! It's been a pretty good year, writing wise, so I can't complain. Wishing all of you awesome readers a safe and happy new year.<em>

_The plot twists will be coming soon but not before some more Elsanna fluff. Time for these two to go on a date already!_


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